The Thin Blue Line: Media Depictions of Policing

Policing

Activities that maintain and reproduce social order, including informal and formal actions.

Public Police

Institutions and individuals authorized by the State to use coercive force to maintain social order.

Functionalism

The perspective that sees the police as impartial enforcers of a societal consensus on norms, values, and laws.

Conflict Perspective

The view that the police serve as a means of controlling the powerless in favor of the powerful.

Bow Street Runners

The first organized police force established by Henry Fielding in 1748.

London Metropolitan Police Act

The act established by Robert Peel in 1829, creating a formal police organization in London.

Jurisdictional Levels

The three levels of police services in Canada: Federal, Provincial, and Municipal.

RCMP

Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the federal police service in Canada.

Community Patrol

Visible police presence intended to deter and detect crime.

Media Depictions of Police

How police are portrayed in films and television, often as lone heroes, buddy cops, or rule-breakers, highlighting themes like justice system shortcomings, corrupt officers, or the use of special skills. Examples include 'Dirty Harry' or 'Cops'.

Noble Cause Corruption

The idea that police may break rules to achieve what they believe is a just outcome.

Police Myths

Common misconceptions about policing, such as the idea that more police officers lead to less crime.

Reality of Police Work

The actual day-to-day activities of police officers, often involving routine patrol, paperwork, and responding to calls.

Community Policing

A strategy that focuses on building relationships between police and community members.

School Resource Officers (SROs)

Police officers assigned to schools to improve safety and student-police relations.

Police Roles

Include law enforcement, deterrence, surveillance, security, traffic regulation, and providing public services.

OPP

Ontario Provincial Police, a provincial police service in Canada.

Sûreté du Québec

Quebec Provincial Police, a provincial police service in Canada.

Proactive investigation

Police-initiated investigations based on community problems or suspicions.

Criminal Investigation and Prosecution

A police function involving responding to reported crimes, proactive investigations, court testimony, evidence collection, and collaboration with prosecution.

Order Maintenance

Police activities to keep public order, such as traffic and crowd control, conflict resolution, and de-escalation.

Police Social Service Roles

Assisting individuals with mental health issues, supporting crime victims, and engaging in public education.