Notes: 1) All chief officers are equal in law. Equivalence between other ranks is variable.
2) Numbers of officers in each rank vary; 75% - 80% of all UK officers are
constables.
3) The ranks of Deputy Chief Constable and Chief Superintendent, were abolished
with effect from 1.4.95.
HAVE A REST
NOT SO STUPID
A man engaged in a lawsuit suggested to his lawyer that it might be a good idea to send a present to the judge who was going to try the case. His lawyer warned him that the judge was quite honest, and that if he did any such thing he would only prejudice the judge against him.
During the trial the lawyer noticed that the judge seemed to favour his client in whose favour judgement was in the end given. The man afterwards told his lawyer that he had sent a rich present to the judge.
But you cant have done so, said the lawyer.
Oh yes I did, replied the man, but remembering your advice, I sent it in my opponents name.
DISTRUST IN LAWYERS
Have you got a lawyer? asked the judge of a young man brought before him.
No, your honour, was the answer.
Well, dont you think you had better have one? asked the judge.
No, your honour, answered the young man. I dont need one. I am going to tell the truth.
A WISE JUDGE
Two brothers once lived together. They worked on their fathers farm. They were very honest and got along together very well. One day their father died leaving his property to his two sons. In his last will he told them to divide the property between them.
But the brothers could not agree now. Each wanted to have the better part for himself. After some time they did not even speak to each other. At last they went to a judge who was very wise.
The judge listened to them carefully and then he said.
The matter is very simple. We shall divide the property in this way. One of you will divide it in the way he thinks is best and the other one will then have the right to choose whichever of the two parts he prefers.
In this way the case was settled.
* 
In the first case of its kind, two men have been jailed for distributing child pornography on the Internet. A 26-year- old computer expert, Alban Fellows, ran a pom library and was supplied with some of his material by co-defendant Stephen Arnold. Both were charged. Fellows was jailed for three years and Arnold for six months.
* A Force campaign against knife violence in Glasgow has started this year. All City centre shops which stock special knives have agreed to adopt a voluntary code of practice requiring knife-buyers to show proof of identity, and to ban knife sales to under-16s without a responsible adult. The purpose of the campaign is to prevent the wrong type of people getting hold of the knives.
* Russian-speaking criminals have invested heavily in the British property market and forged Sinks with some crimi-nals here. Billions of dollars are believed to have been laun-dered around the world by the criminals, especially from Russia.
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Unit 8
RECRUITMENT
Entry requirements vary from one force to another.
Age. The minimum age for appointment as a constable is 18 1/2 although some forces have a higher minimum age. There is no upper limit.
Qualifications. Candidates should have achieved a good educational standard. However, regardless of educational attainment there is an entrance test which is taken by all candidates. This Initial Recruitment Test helps to identify whether you have the skills for the job. It consists of five separately timed tests each designed to measure a different ability. These are:
* the ability to spell words and construct sentences properly;
* the ability to check information quickly and correctly;
* the ability to solve numerical problems accurately;
* the ability to reason logically when given facts about events;
* the ability to observe scenes carefully and recall details accurately.
Physical fitness. If you are thinking of joining the Police Service you must be physically fit. Before appointment all candidates are medically examined and must be certified by a registered medical practitioner, approved by the police authority, as being in good health, of sound constitution, and fitted both physically and mentally to perform the duties of a constable.
Eyesight. Good eyesight is important and all forces require a high standard of eyesight. No force can accept candidates with only one eye or those who suffer from squint or other morbid conditions of the eyes (or lids of either eye). Applicants are normally required to produce an opticians test certificate issued within the preceding 12 months.
Most forces will accept a candidate who wears contact lenses or glasses. Colour vision is also important and no force will accept a candidate who is unable to distinguish the principal colours - red, green and violet.
Nationality. Applicants to the Police Service are required to be British citizens, or Commonwealth citizens whose stay in the United Kingdom is not subject to restrictions, or citizens of the Irish Republic.
Height. There are no minimum or maximum height requirements.
Criminal record. When making an application for appointment to any chief officer of police you should mention any criminal record which you have.
As a new recruit you will be given the training necessary to equip you for the job. All police officers do basic training and have a two year probation. Initial training comprises a two year modular system. The two year training cycle is outlined below.
* One and a half weeks at your forces local centre being given basic information and time to discuss hopes and fears in relation to the job.
* Two and a half weeks at a police station giving you a chance to observe the working environment.
* A ten week residential course at a national police training centre where you learn and are trained in relation to the professional and personal skills and abilities you need for the job. (Everything from community awareness to punctuality!)
* Five weeks on the beat with a tutor constable guiding you through incidents, procedures and paperwork.
* Additional training and skills learning at a national police training centre through simulation exercises and classwork.
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* Back to the police station for five weeks with a tutor constable.
Later you will go on individual patrol.
Promotion. Promotion opportunities exist for all police officers. After their first two years as a probationary constable, officers can work towards their sergeant and then their inspector exams with the help of an excellent training programme.
WORDS AND PHRASES
entry [′entri] -
requirement [ri′kwaiəment]
appointment [əpointmənt] -
constable [kΛnstəbl] -
attainment [ə′teinmənt] -
initial [ ′i∫əl] -
recruitment [ri′kru:tmənt] -
to identity [ai′dentifai] -
skill [skil] - , ;
ability [ə′biliti] -
to spell [spel] -
to solve [solv] -
to reason [ri:zn] -
event [ i′vent] -
to observe [əb′zə:v] -
to recall [ri′ko:l] -
fimess [′fitnis] -
to approve [ə′pru:v] - ;
eyesight [′aisait] -
squint [skwint] -
morbid [′mo:bid] -
lid [1id] - , .
applicant [′æplikənt] -
to precede [pri:′si:d] -
to distinguish [dis′tinggwi∫] -
Commonwealth [′komənwelӨ] -
restriction [ris′trik∫n] -
height [hait] -
beat [bi:t] - ;
tutor [′tju:tə] -
promotion [prə′mou∫ən] -
EXERCISES
1. Fill in the blanks:
1. The minimum age for... as a constable is 18 1/2.
2. The initial Recruitment test helps to... whether young people have the skills for the job.
3. The test is designed to measure a different....
4. The future policeman must spell words and construct sentences properly,... numerical problems accurately,... logically,... scenes carefully and... details accurately.
5. When joining the Police Service all candidates must be physically....
6. Good... is important.
7. All applicants must... the principal colours - red, green ajid violet.
8. When entering the Police Service you must mention any... record which you have.
9. All police officers do basic training and have a two year....
10.... can lead to a higher rank.
2. Read the following sentences and decide if they are true or false:
1. Entry requirements are the same for each force.
2. There is no minimum or upper age limit for appointment as a constable.
3. All candidates must take an entrance test.
4. The initial Recruitment Test helps to identify your skills for the job.
5. It is not necessary to be examined medically before appointment.
6. Applicants must have good eyesight.
7. Applicants to the Police Service are required to be British citizens.
8. It is not necessary to inform about criminal records which you have.
9. All police officers have a one year probation.
10. Promotion opportunities exist only for senior officers.
3. Find words and expressions in the text which mean:
1. person who applies;
2. having the right measure, good health, etc.;
3. route over which smb goes regularly;
4. giving smb a higher position or rank;
5. power of seeing;
6. ability to do smth well;
7. exercise the power of thought.
4. Answer the following questions:
1. What is the minimum and upper age limit for appointment as a constable?
2. What is the purpose of the Initial Recruitment Test?
3. What abilities does the Initial Recruitment Test help to identify and measure?
4. Do all forces require a high standard of eyesight?
5. What colours must applicants distinguish?
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6. How long does it take to have basic training and probation?
7. What opportunities exist for all police officers?
Read the text.
DUTIES
The duties of the police forces of the United Kingdom include the provision of police cover at major airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, etc.) but the police carry no responsibility for the running of prisons, for immigration or for customs and excise duties. The duties and responsibilities of police are:
a) the protection of life and property,
b) the prevention of crime and detection of offenders; and
c) the preservation of public tranquillity.
These principles were accepted by all police forces in the United Kingdom.
In 1990 the Association of Chief Police Officers set out the purpose for the police service of today:
The purpose of the police service is to uphold the law; to prevent crime; to bring to justice those who break the law; to keep the Queens Peace; to protect, help and reassure the community. We must be compassionate, courteous and patient. We need to be professional, calm and restrained in the face of violence and apply only that force which is necessary to accomplish our lawful duty. We must strive to reduce the fears of the public and to reflect their priorities in the action we take. We must respond to well-founded criticism with a willingness to change.
6. Give English equivalents for the following words and expressions:
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- , , ;
- ;
- ( );
- ;
- ;
- ;
- , ;
- ;
- , ;
- ;
- , ;
- ;
- ;
- ;
- ;
- ;
- , ;
- ;
- ;
- .
