Bobbies

Before 1829, there were no police anywhere in Britain. In that year Sir Robert Peel, set up a force in London. The new police were often called “bobbies”, and the nickname¹ is still occasionally used today. (Bobby is the familiar form of the name Robert).

There were political objections and considerable resistance in British Parliament to the idea of a permanent police force instead of groups of citizens brought together to deal with particular problems. In his speech in the House of Commons Robert Peel, who was the Home Secretary² at the time, described the ineffectiveness of the present system and insisted that a police force was needed. In 1829 Peel’s Metropolitan Police³ Act was passed. London police force was created and replaced the old system of watchmen.

As a political compromise the jurisdiction of the legislation was limited to the Metropolitan London area, excluding the City of London and provinces. All London’s police were the responsibility of one authority, under the direction of Home Secretary. Being a policeman became a full-time occupation with a weekly pay and a uniform. 1,000 men were recruited in addition to the existing 400 policemen. Recruits were carefully selected and trained.

At that time the Metropolitan Police were responsible only for the detection and prevention of crime. Crime and disorder were to be controlled by preventive patrols. The new police force also inherited many functions of watchmen, such as

• lighting lamplights

• calling out the time (“Two in the morning and all’s well”)

• watching for fires

• providing other services.

“Bobbies” were not immediately popular. Most citizens viewed constables as an infringement on English social and political life. Nevertheless, the preventive tactics of the early police were successful, and crime and disorder declined.

The Metropolitan Police Act established the principles that shaped modern English policing. First, the primary means of policing was patrolling by uniformed police officers. Second, command and control were to be maintained through a centralized, pseudo-military organization structure. Third, police were to be patient, impersonal, and professional. Finally, the authority of the English constable derived from three official sources – the crown, the law, and the consent and cooperation of the citizenry.

The Metropolitan police became the prototype for all urban police forces in Britain and was widely copied in cities around the world.

____________

¹nickname – прозвище

²Home Secretary – министр внутренних дел

³Metropolitan police – Столичная полиция (полиция г. Лондона и его окрестностей, за исключением Сити)

Task 5. Find the English equivalents for the following word combinations; memorize them.

1. создавать, учреждать

2. настоять на необходимости полиции

3. принять закон

4. отбирать и обучать новобранцев

5. предоставлять услуги

6. посягательство на общественную и политическую жизнь

7. осуществлять руководство и контроль

8. стать прототипом чего-то

Task 6. Complete the following sentences.

1. British Police was set up in 1829 by Robert Peel who was …

2. British policemen were often called “bobbies” because …

3. As a political compromise the City of London and provinces were excluded from …

4. Newly recruited policemen were …

5. Preventive patrols were to control …

6. At first “bobbies” were not popular with the citizens because …

7. The Metropolitan Police Act established the principles that …

8. The authority of the English constable derived from …

Task 7. Complete the chart; translate the words.

noun	adjective		adverb
occasion
politics
consideration
effect effectiveness
response responsibility
care
prevention
success
person
patience
profession
office officer

Task 8. Fill the gaps with the words from the chart in task 7; translate the sentences.

1. At first, detection and prevention of crime were the only r… of the Metropolitan Police.

2. The old system of watchmen was not very e… and was replaced by the police.

3. P… patrols by uniformed police o… proved to be s… and crime and disorder declined.

4. It was required from the police officers to be p… and p… .

5. The new police were not only r… for crime p… and crime detection, they o… provided other services.

6. Many British people didn’t like the idea of permanent police force and c… resisted to its creation.

7. The people recruited to the newly formed police were c… selected.

8. It was Robert Peel who p… persuaded his colleagues and MPs of the value of the new police force.

Task 9. Study the information and translate the sentences.

Глагол to use в Past Simple может употребляться в значении "иметь обыкновение". Конструкция "used to + Infinitive" часто переводится на русский язык "бывало", "раньше", "когда-то" и употребляется для обозначения того, что имело место раньше, или для обозначения повторяющихся в прошлом действий. Например:

I used to take a bus. – Раньше я ездил на автобусе.

There used to be a cinema in this street. - На этой улице когда-то был кинотеатр.

1. In Britain there used to be groups of people that dealt with crime instead of police.

2. There used to be a system of watchmen which was replaced by London police.

3. The new police used to provide other services in addition to detection and prevention of crime.

4. Most citizens used to view constables as an infringement to English social and political life.

Task 10. Practise the following for pronunciation.

although /Ll'DqV/ adequate /'xdIkwIt/

policy /'pPlIsi/ efficient /I'fISqnt/

geographical /"GIq'grxfIkl/ senior /'sJnIq/

taxation /txk'seISn/ administrative /qd'mInIstrqtIv/

throughout /TrH'aVt/ answerable /'Rnsqrqbl/

Constabulary /kqn'stxbjVlqri/ impartial /Im'pRSql/

councilor /'kaVnsqlq/ helmet /'helmIt/

magistrate /'mxGIstreIt/ truncheon /'trAnSqn/

Task 11. Read and translate the text.