MAD HATTER 2

 

 

Rule of Law

Recent changes to the rule of law in western
democracies do not bode well for society, a well
known professor from the Open University of
Britain told Douglas College criminology students
earlier this month.

John Clarke, co-author of the widely used
textbook Policing the Crisis said the British
government is exerting too much pressure on
changes to the law, and the role of police.

"I feel sorry for the people of Britain that are
policed by the rule of law," Clarke said. "It is
not a happy or comfortable situation."

"| also feel sorry for those who must enforce the
law. Police in Britain are becoming defensive,
paranoid, neurotic and fearful of the public and
the end result is bad news for everyone."

The problem results from two closely related
crises in British society, Clarke said. The first
is the economic decline lasting longer than
expected, and the second is a crisis in political
authority.

"The era of consensus politics has ended. This

is the standard where government decisions
were not made by force, not by coercion and not
by the direct, naked power of government."

And while political and economic trust deteriora-
ted, incidents of crime increased making people
even more fearful, and causing the government
to scramble to find answers, he said. -

"While the crisis deepened, the Conservative
government in Britain, as with the Conservative
and Social Credit governments of Canada and the
Republicans in the United States, became
committed to a 'new realism", " Clarke said.
"The answer was to downsize, de-program and
de-regulate."

Governments became committed to the minimal
but strong state, although freedom became
freedom controlled, guaranteed and regulated."

 

By the 1980's, rioting began in the British inner
cities, and police were one of the few groups hit
hardest by rebellious youth. A major reason for
this is that police were the only major govern-
ment agency left in the inner cities, Clarke said.

"Welfare, government housing, job creation
programs and other services were all rolled back
and what was left behind was a colonial police
force," he said. "Not surprisingly, considerable
animosity existed between the police and the
public."

Then, instead of focusing on the causes of crime,
government began altering perceptions of crime,
making the most easily susceptible groups of
society appear at fault.

"In February 1982, all the major papers and
television stations began running 'previews' of the
London police annual crime statistics," Clarke
said. "Usually, no one is interested in these
reports, but this time it was like the build-up to
the Oscar ceremonies."

One of the messages was that black people were
more heavily involved in street crime than they
ought to be and the police were losing the war
against crime because of too much talk on
consultation and community policing, he said.

Community policing was described as having
police officers discuss local problems with the
public, and allowing public input in to what forms
of law enforcement should be used in high crime
districts.

"The interpretation was that police were now in
war against their communities," Clarke said.

"When the official statistics came out, they said
black people were over represented, and while
street crime accounted for less than three per
cent of London crime, this was the only section
of the report broken down by race."

The section on street crime was also the only
section pulled out separate from the report,
capita lized and triple underlined. It was then
the major focus of a 20 minute press conference

surrounding the statistics, he said. oi