This document is about Robert Peel's Nine Principles. Robert Peel is a British politicians and he was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom two times during the 19th century. He created these principles to define an ethical police force. In fact, the British police is a bit different from what we know in other countries like France, because ethical issues and co-operation with the public are very important.
During the Victorian era, London was not a safe place at all. Indeed this period was characterised by the industrial revolution, but also by many social protests. That is why a London police called the Metropolitan police was created. At this time, Paris had the best known police. As Britain was at war within France very often from 1793 to 1815, people were afraid of making something similar to France. People thought it was not the government's role to set up and control a police force. It is in that context that Robert Peel wrote those nine principles. Those principles are about association between the police and the public as this sentence shows: « Police must secure the willing co-operation of the public in voluntary observation of the law to be able to secure and maintain the respect of the public. British police are relying on the co-operation of the public. This co-operation shows that the population has confidence in the police and it offers some legitimacy to their work. The police tend to be close to the citizens whereas in France, the police don't walk in the same way as the citizens. Their role's name is explicit. In fact, while in France a police officer is called an official of the State, a British police officer is named a civil servant, which means that he is here to serve the people and not to serve the King or the State. .
Moreover, the British police are seen as members of the public, who are paid to give full-time attention to duties as this sentence shows: « Police, at all times, should maintain a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and the public are the police».
