The home beat officer

An important link between the police and the community is the local Home Beat Officer. The Home Beat Officer is attached to a particular beat and, while he or she is on duty, is responsible for that beat. It is his job to get to know it and the people who live there.

In many ways he can be likened to the traditional image of the ‘village bobby’. He or she patrols the beat on foot wherever possible, which gives the maximum opportunity to meet people and learn their problems.

It is also an important part of his job to get to know, and be known by, school children and he has a special responsibility to give talks to children in the schools on his beat. All this does not mean the Home Beat Officer is just a public relations man. He remains an operational police officer, investigating crimes and arresting or reporting those who break the law’.

The sector officer

To give the community a greater sense of security and involvement with police at a local level policing styles have changed from being time based on a shift system to being based on local geographic sectors.

Together with the local Home Beat Officer, the Sector Officer will play a vital role in maintaining close contacts at a local level with innumerable tenants associations, voluntary groups and community organisations etc.

The Sector Officer will form a working group bringing together those who work and live there, other agencies who have a professional or statutory responsibility and local voluntary bodies. Through the Sector Officer the groups can communicate the fears and concerns of the community and provide a forum for solutions which can be agreed and implemented by all agencies working together.

Keeping the public iformed

In spite of all this activity by CLOs and Home Beat Officers, many people have little or no direct contact with the police. They depend on television, radio and the press to keep them informed and it is from these that they form their impressions and expectations of the police.

From the police point of view, it is important that everyone should know as much as possible about the police and also be aware of their obligation to co-operate with the police, uphold the law and protect themselves and their property. There is also the fact that crime of all kinds, law and order, road accidents and congestion form a large part of our daily diet of news and editorial comment and it is important that the media are provided with accurate information.

18. Organisation of the metropolitan police district

The Metropolitan Police District covers Greater London with its 6,756,0 people, and beyond. It is an area covering 787 square miles and reaches from Potters Bar in the North to Kenley in the South; Upminster in the East to Staines in the West.

To make the policing of this vast area manageable it has been divided into five Areas. Each Area is again divided into Sub-Divisions and Police Stations. Area sizes are defined according to factors such as population, police workload and patterns of demand.

Divisional boundaries mostly conform to those of local authorities. However inner London boroughs may contain more than one Division, while in outer London more than one local authority may fall within a single Police Division.

Each Area has its own Headquarters and is under the command of a Deputy Assistant Commissioner, assisted by a Commander (Operations) and Commander (Support). They have overall responsibility for the Uniform Branch and CID on Divisions within their area, and report to the Assistant Commissioner (Territorial Operations) at New Scotland Yard.

Commander (Operations) is assisted by a Detective Superintendent, specifically responsible for serious crime, and a Uniform Chief Superintendent in charge of operations, public order and traffic.

Commander (Support) is assisted by his deputy, a Uniform Chief Superintendent, responsible for personnel matters, community relations and the investigation of complaints against the police.

Each Area Headquarters also has a Metropolitan Special Constabulary Commandant in charge of the Special Constables in that area.

Each Divisional Station is under the control of a Senior Superin­tendent and his deputy, another Superintendent. The CID is run by a Detective Chief Inspector.

Divisional stations are manned round the clock, but some less busy stations close at night. In this case calls are referred to their nearest Divisional, or sub-Divisional station.

The mobile ‘hardware’ of Area policing consists of a complement of fast response Area Patrol cars, operating from Divisional stations; Panda cars are attached to stations in outer districts, traffic cars and motorcycles operate from area garages. Also available are CID cars and general purpose cars and vans. A familiar sight on London’s streets are the Traffic Patrols and Traffic Wardens. Based at ga­rages and Traffic Warden units throughout London, these officers deal with traffic problems on the highways and roads.

Ultimately, all of London’s police officers, from the Constable on the beat to the Area Deputy Assistant Commissioner, are responsi­ble to the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, whose office is at New Scotland Yard, the Headquarters of the Metropolitan Police.