historical perspectives: policing and technological change

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'Historical Perspectives : Policing and Technologica l Change'.

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'Historical Perspectives: Policing and Technological Change'. Overview of talk. What we know Some theory New police Rules and books Telecoms Control Rooms Computers. What we know already*. Origins of new police Who the police were History of institutional structures Who was in charge - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: Historical Perspectives: Policing and Technological Change

'Historical Perspectives: Policing and Technological Change'.

Page 2: Historical Perspectives: Policing and Technological Change

Overview of talk• What we know

• Some theory

• New police

• Rules and books

• Telecoms

• Control Rooms

• Computers

Page 3: Historical Perspectives: Policing and Technological Change

What we know already*• Origins of new police

• Who the police were

• History of institutional structures

• Who was in charge

*pretty much

Page 4: Historical Perspectives: Policing and Technological Change

Some theory and inspiration• Max Weber – bureaucracy

• Michel Foucault – disciplinary society

• JoAnn Yates Control Through Communication: The rise of system in American management (1989)

• Jon Agar The Government Machine: A revolutionary history of the computer (2002)

• John James The Paladins: The story of the RAF up to the outbreak of World War II (1990)

Page 5: Historical Perspectives: Policing and Technological Change

Old to new policing• C. 1775 -> 1850

• Not ‘professionalisation’ but ‘proletarianisation’.

• (‘old’) Parish Constables

– independent, controlled by warning and incentives

• New Police

–Uniformed

–Under orders

• Effects on public: arrival of a disciplined force

Page 6: Historical Perspectives: Policing and Technological Change

Foucault was right*

*about this

Page 7: Historical Perspectives: Policing and Technological Change

Rules and books• Interlocking cross-referenced books

• Regular reports over whole hierarchy

• Notebook as a focus for controlling the constable

• Filters: forms are internal - books are gatekeepers

“Integrity, sobriety, intelligence, a systematic correctness in business, civility and humanity, are the leading qualifications of a good Police Officer”

The Orders and Instructions to be observed by the officers of the Manchester Police (1836)

Page 8: Historical Perspectives: Policing and Technological Change

Landlines, 1848-1934• ‘Leading sector’ – 1848 Chartist mobilisation

• Telegraph: written record

• Telephones

–High-level conferences

–Inter-institutional traffic

– ‘Showing the flag’

–Box systems: supervision

–1934 survey: national traffic ‘net work’

Page 9: Historical Perspectives: Policing and Technological Change

Control rooms• Military heritage: London Air Defence Area 1917

• ‘Police science’

• Area wireless

• 1934: Whitehall 1212

• Information Room

• Effects on public

–Fast response

–HMIC report 1938: “[shifting] the original basis of our police organisation more in the direction of that of a fire brigade”

Page 10: Historical Perspectives: Policing and Technological Change

Police National Computer• 1958-1975: Home Office / Metropolitan Police Joint

Automatic Data Processing Unit

• Centralisation of information in real time

• London location

• US equipment purchased

• Includes: Criminal Name index

• Includes: Car registration numbers

• Excludes: Modus Operandi

Page 11: Historical Perspectives: Policing and Technological Change

Broad conclusions• National security drives some

interventions

• Limited role of private sector: no ‘security industrial complex’

• Filters the key to useful information systems

–Alarms info overload Met 1970: 17k calls, 96% false, 0.5% -> arrest

• Technology frees police from community engagement?

Page 12: Historical Perspectives: Policing and Technological Change

Chris A. Williams

History Department

[email protected]