Police Service

[flip-flop]

Have just watched a report on the BBC which referred to the Police as a service.

This has obviously dipped under my radar - when did this happen?

And more importantly why did this happen?

[WaldoMcFroog]

You've never heard the expression 'Emergency Services' before?

Weird.

[flip-flop]

Fair enough Waldo as a collective of the three, but when did the Police stop using the word Force? Genuine Q by the way - I've never, as far as I am aware, heard the phrase Police Service.

[WaldoMcFroog]

The Met is a 'Service' (http://www.met.police.uk/about/) - was it a story about them?

[flip-flop]

Yes, just simply that the Police Service were going to allow the media access to disciplinary hearings.

[brachiopod]

As far as I can recollect, it has been referred to as the Police Service generically - as in;

"I'm joining the Police Service"

and Force specifically;

"I'm joining the West Mercia Police Force"

[brachiopod]

...they've also been known by other terms, however I am unable to print these on a family website.

;o)

[Haggisdj]

Hi

I have heard the term for quite a while, probably 10 or so years. Do you think it is part of the whole PC thing, no pun intended?

[Scotman84]

Sometimes you will also find that the Fire Brigade is now called the Fire Service, or the Fire and Rescue service

[ludwig]

Like Haggisdj, I have been hearing this term for about 10 years. It's not a PC thing, so much as a rebranding excercise done by the police themselves to promote a cuddlier and more consumer friendly image.
Service is actually a better description of what they're supposed to be doing, so I don't object to the change at all.

[jamesy boy]

I once heard that people want a 'Police Force' when you've been mugged, but a 'Police Service', when you're driving at 32 mph.

[kempie]

The Police Service is indeed made up of regional Police Forces...

http://www.police.uk/forces/default.asp

[kempie]

*oops - I omitted "and non-regional"