Police in Britain

Text 6 A

Before you read

Discuss these questions with your partner.

1. What do you know about the UK police?

2. What are the duties of the police?

Police are the people who work for the governmental department established to enforce the law, prevent and detect crimes, catch criminals and check that people obey the law,to maintain peace, safety, and order of the community.

The police have many functions. Though they mainly deal with criminal law, they may also enforce judgments made in civil courts. As well as gathering evidence, the police have wide powers to arrest, search and question people suspected of crimes and to control the actions of members of the public during demonstrations and meetings. The mere presence of the police deters people from committing crimes.

There is no national police force in Britain. All police employees work for one of the fifty two separate forces which each have responsibility for a particular geographical area. Originally, these were set up locally. The central government inspects them and influence senior appointments within them. In return, it provides about half of the money to run them. The other half comes from local government.

The exception to this system is the Metropolitan Police Force which polices Greater London. The “Met” is under the direct control of central government. It also performs certain national police functions such as the registration of all crimes and criminals in England and Wales and of the missing persons register. New Scotland Yard is the famous building which is the headquarters of its Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

British police still do not carry guns (although all police stations have a store of weapons).

The police are not, of course, above the law. When they arrest a suspect, they have to follow certain procedures. For example, unless they obtain special permission, they are not allowed to detain a person for more than twenty-four hours without formally charging that person with having committed a crime.

Ex. I. Read the text and answer the following questions:

1. What are police?

2. What was police established for?

3. What functions do the police have?

4. What does the mere presence of the police deter people from?

5. Is there the national police force in Britain?

6. How many police forces are there in the UK?

7. What institution inspects the police forces?

8. How are the police forces financed?

9. What did you learn about the Metropolitan Police Force?

10. What functions does the Metropolitan Police Force perform?

11. What is New Scotland Yard?

12. What weapon do British police carry?

13. How should the police behave when they arrest a suspect?

Ex. II. Read the text and decide if the following statements are True, False or No information.

1. Police are the people who work for the governmental department.

2. Police was established to enforce the law, prevent and detect crimes, catch criminals and check that people obey the law,to maintain peace, safety, and order of the community.

3. The police are mainly concerned with criminal law, and they may not enforce judgments made in civil courts.

4. All police employees work for one of the fifty seven separate forces which each have responsibility for a particular geographical area.

5. The central government inspects them and has influence senior appointments within them.

6. If you carry a knife to protect yourself or make yourself feel safer but don’t intend to use it then you are committing a crime, the police may arrest you.

7. The “Met” is under the direct control of the local government.

8. The Metropolitan Police Force doesn’t perform any national police functions.

9. The expanding Metropolitan Police were given new headquarters at Great Scotland Yard in 1875.

10. British police still do not carry guns (although all police stations have a store of weapons).

11. The police are above the law, when they arrest a suspect, they don’t have to follow certain procedures.

12. Unless the police obtain special permission, they are not allowed to detain a person for more than twenty-four hours without formally charging that person with having committed a crime.

Ex.III. Find English equivalents in the text.

1. Полиция была учреждена, чтобы проводить закон в жизнь, предотвращать и раскрывать преступления, следить за тем, чтобы люди повиновались закону, а также поддерживать всеобщий мир, безопасность и порядок в обществе.

2. Полиция в основном имеет дело с уголовным правом, она может также приводить в исполнение решения, принятые в гражданских судах.

3. Одно только присутствие полицейских удерживает людей от совершения преступлений.

4. 52 отдельных подразделений полиции отвечают за определенные участки территории.

5. The exception to this system is the Metropolitan Police Force which polices Greater London. Исключением является подразделение Лондонской полиции, которое охраняет порядок в Большом Лондоне.

6. Подразделение Лондонской полиции регистрирует все преступления и всех преступников в Англии и Уэльсе, а также

ведут книгу учета всех пропавших людей.

7. Полицейские в Британии все еще не носят оружия, хотя в каждом отделении полиции есть склад оружия.

8. Новый Скотланд-Ярд – известное здание, которое является штаб-квартирой Отдела Уголовных Расследований.

9. Когда полицейские арестовывают подозреваемого, они должны придерживаться определенной процедуры ареста.

Ex. IV. Mind the English words and phrases with their Russian equivalents.

1. to catch criminals	1. поддерживать порядок
2. to check	2. приводить в исполнение судебное решение
3. to obey the law	3. контролировать действия людей
4. to maintain order	4. вести книгу учета пропавших людей
5. to enforce judgments	5. исключение
6. a civil court	6. придерживаться определенной процедуры
7. wide powers	7. влиять на назначения на высокий пост
8. the people suspected of crimes	8. 52 отдельных подразделений полиции
9. to control the actions of people	9. подчиняться закону
10. the mere presence of the police	10. широкие полномочия
11. police employees	11. местное правительство
12. to influence senior appointments	12. только одно присутствие полиции
13. 52 separate forces	13. люди, подозреваемые в преступлении
14. local government	14. служащие полиции
15. the missing persons register	15. носить оружие
16. the registration of crimes and criminals	16. ловить преступников
17. to follow certain procedures	проверять
18. exception	18. гражданский суд
19. to carry a gun	19. регистрировать преступления и преступников

Ex. V. Find the English equivalents for the words and word-combinations. Use them in the sentences of your own.

1. Предотвращать преступления

2. Раскрывать преступления

3. Совершать преступления

4. Поддерживать всеобщий мир, безопасность и порядок в обществе

5. Приводить в исполнение судебное решение

6. Собирать доказательства

7. Разыскивать преступников

8. Опрашивать людей

9. Люди, подозреваемые в совершении преступления

10. Подозреваемый

11. Удерживать людей от совершения преступлений

12. Подразделение Лондонской полиции

13. Охранять порядок в Большом Лондоне

14. Штаб-квартира Отдела Уголовных Расследований

15. Удерживать под стражей в течение 24 часов

16. Обвинять в совершении преступления

Ex. VI. Complete the following sentences.

1. Police are the people who …

2. Police was established to …

3. The police mainly deal with …

4. The police have wide powers …

5. The mere presence of the …

6. All police employees work for …

7. The exception to this system is the Metropolitan Police Force which …

8. The Metropolitan Police Force performs certain national police functions such as … the registration of all crimes and criminals in England and Wales and of the missing persons register.

9. New Scotland Yard is …

10. Unless the police obtain special permission, they are not allowed …

Ex.VII. Will you tell us about Police in Britain, please?

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