Local Government and Policing: The End of an Historic Relationship?

Fielding Nigel , The Police and Social Conflict: Rhetoric and Reality, Athlone, London (1991), p.65.

For example, the City of Manchester produced its first instruction manual in 1864, written by Chief Constable Henry Palin.

See, for example, the recommendations of the Dugdale report into Allegations Concerning the Police Force of Manchester, 1897 which included the suggestion that the chief constable rather than the Watch Committee should possess the power of suspension, dismissal and promotion as was the case in county forces.

Spencer Sarah , Called To Account, the Case for Police Accountability in England and Wales, National Council for Civil Liberties, London (1985), pp.17–18. Spencer argued that the chief constable of a county force enjoyed greater control over his force than did his counterpart in a borough and that the establishment of standing joint committees in 1888 served to entrench this power.

It was stated that “No Minister of the Crown can tell him [the chief constable] that he must or must not prosecute this man or that one. Nor can any police authority tell him so. The responsibility for law enforcement lies on him. He is answerable to the law and to the law alone. R. v. Metropolitan Commissioner ex parte Blackburn [1968].

McIntosh Mary , Changes in the Organization of Thieving , in Cohen Stanley , (ed) Images of Deviance, Penguin, Harmondsworth (1971).

Kettle Martin , in Fine Bob Millar Robert , Policing the Miners' Strike, Lawrence and Wishart, London (1985), p.23.

Spencer , op. cit., p.99. Circular 114/83 did, nonetheless, envisage a important role for police authorities concerning police objectives and priorities.

Imbert Peter Sir , The Times, July 18, 1990.

Boaden Noel , Public Participation in Local Services, Longman, London (1982).

See, for example, the arguments presented by Kettle Martin Hodges Lucy , Uprising! The Police, the People and the Riots in Britain's Cities, Pan, London (1982).

Scarman Lord , The Brixton Disorders April 10–12, 1981, Cmnd 8427, HMSO, London, 1981, pp.63–64 and p.95.

Simey Margaret , Government by Consent, The Principle and Practice of Accountability in Local Government, Bedfore Square Press, London (1985), p.3.

Remark attributed to Kenneth Oxford, quoted in the Economist, October 13, 1979.

Benn Tony , Arguments for Democracy, Penguin, Harmondsworth (1982), p.88.

Police Reform: A Police Service for the Twenty-First Century, Cm 2281, HMSO, London, 1993.

In the 1993 Bill, the Home Secretary was provided with reserve powers over allocation of the eight places available to councillors and was also given powers to dismiss members of police authorities and to remove the chair of the authority. Police and Magistrates' Courts Bill, sch.2.

Cm 2281, pp. 41–42.

Bogdanor Vernon , the Guardian, November 1, 1993.