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'Historical Perspectives: Policing and Technological Change'.

'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

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'Historical Perspectives: Policing and Technological Change'.

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  1. 'Historical Perspectives: Policing and Technological Change'.

  2. Overview of talk • What we know • Some theory • New police • Rules and books • Telecoms • Control Rooms • Computers

  3. What we know already* • Origins of new police • Who the police were • History of institutional structures • Who was in charge *pretty much

  4. 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)

  5. 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

  6. Foucault was right* *about this

  7. 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)

  8. 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’

  9. 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”

  10. 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

  11. 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?

  12. Chris A. Williams History Department chris.williams@open.ac.uk

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