Writing police history: European Society of Criminology; Police Working Group (ESC PWG) Webinar: What can history tell us about today?

In this webinar I wanted to give examples of how historical knowledge can be generated and developed to make links with today and so provide evidence for practice. 

The most obvious is to show repetition or discontinuity and I give 5 examples: 

1. By evolution or constancy in direction, e.g. how the continued use of the 'Peelian' principles has guided police direction, despite their dubious heritage; 

2. By cycles of repetition, consider how many homeless people have cycles of homelessness. Consider the influence of individual’s personal histories. 

3. By changes within a structure, such as the use of technology (think of the introduction of facial recognition and how this is changing police work) or by diffusion of ideas, such as the College of Policing recommending the 4 Es (engage, explain, encourage, enforce) during COVID. You might want to look at how changes in society have promoted these changes in police practice; 

4. By long causal chains; consider tracing back to the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. This example can give suggestions for tracing any one of today’s serious events back in time, or to look for why serious events occur, such as the outbreak of war. 

5. By the use of statistics such as tracing alcohol-specific deaths in UK,

or by a combination of these. 

Alternatively, other historians start with points of conflict and struggle, which bring in resistance and power relations and their effects on those involved, see Herbert's work referenced below.

References from this webinar on 22nd January 2025 

Andrews, T. (2025, in press) The ‘Peelian Principles’: Their historical and contemporary veracity. Policing and Society 

Bland, E. (2025 in press) Colonial Policing Practices in Queensland and their Contemporary Legacies. Policing and Society. 

Brain, T. (2023) A History of Police Reform in England and Wales: 300 Years of Reforming the Police. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. 

Cox, D. ‘We believe our police are careful not to unduly harass you ladies and gentlemen’ – an examination of the relationship between the police of Cheshire and the motoring public, 1896-1939. Policing and Society. 

Fraser, M. (2025, in press) The role of the police in disaster management. Policing and Society.

Gerschenkron, A. (1962) On the concept of continuity in history. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 106(3), 195-209. 

Halkon, R. (2025, in press) Reflecting on the past to transform the future: Exploring the role of history in policing reform. Policing and Society 

Herbert, Steve (2014). “The Policing of Space: New Realities, Old Dilemmas,” In The Oxford Handbook of Police and Policing eds. Reisig, M and Kane, R. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Chapter 26, pp. 589–605. 

Herbert, Steve, (1996) The geopolitics of the police: Foucault, disciplinary power and the tactics of the Los Angeles Police Department. Political Geography, 15(1) 47-57. 

Jackson, L. (2025, in press) Gender and policing in the UK: historical perspectives on 50 years of equality legislation. Policing and Society 

Neocleous, Mark (2015) The Other Space of Police Power; or, Foucault and the No-Fly Zone. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1057/9781137385925_6?pdf=chapter+toc