'Car-Chase Tv': the Legitimisation of Police
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‘CAR-CHASE TV’: THE LEGITIMISATION OF POLICE WORK? By James Deane A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment for the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Central Lancashire. July 2016 1 STUDENT DECLARATION FORM Concurrent registration for two or more academic awards I declare that while registered as a candidate for the research degree, I have not been a registered candidate or enrolled student for another award of the University or other academic or professional institution. Material submitted for another award I declare that no material contained in the thesis has been used in any other submission for an academic award and is solely my own work 2 Abstract ‘Car chase TV’ has become a staple of U.K. television schedules over the past two decades. Conveyed in a plethora of observational documentaries (ob- docs), mediated images of police vehicular pursuits (PVPs) are packaged as entertainment products. However, the rise of PVPs as a ubiquitous entertainment spectacle has taken place against a backdrop of concern around a steep rise in the human cost of PVPs emanating from police oversight bodies and widely reported in the national press. This research investigates whether car chase TV tends to legitimise the police, their work, and specifically the problematic practice of PVP. Historical analysis is used to map the developing concern around PVPs from 1900 through to 2011. The thesis then presents the findings of a thematic analysis carried out on an archive of ob-doc ‘car-chase TV’ programmes broadcast in the UK between 1993 and 2011. This analysis indicated that such programmes do tend to legitimise the police, police work and PVPs in particular. It also showed that the challenge to the legitimacy of PVPs expressed in official reports, the print media and elsewhere largely failed to permeate the mediated construction of PVPs in the ‘car-chase TV’ programmes broadcast on the commercial television networks, but did produce a limited response in the programmes broadcast on the BBC television network, a response which tended to (re)legitimise PVPs in the face of these concerns. The research found that there has been an historical decline in the visibility of PVPs presented in the television programmes contained in the archive, due to various possible factors. This research is significant in that it examines a hitherto under-developed area of criminal justice research and contributes a unique historical perspective on the issue of PVP. It makes a novel contribution to the literature on the legitimisation of the police in the mediated sphere of television. 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Number List of Tables and Figures 7 Acknowledgements 9 Abbreviations and Glossary 10 INTRODUCTION 11 Relationship to Other Work 16 Novel findings and propositions 19 CHAPTER 1. BIOGRAPHIES OF SERIES TITLES 20 Introduction 20 Police Stop VHS. 1999 – 1994 20 Police Camera Action (POCA). ITV. 1994 – 2010 23 XCars. BBC One. 1996 25 Car Wars. BBC One. 1999 – 2007 27 Road Wars. Sky One. 2003 – 2009 27 Traffic Cops. BBC One. 2003 – Present 29 Motorway Cops. BBC One. 2003 – Present 30 Police Interceptors. Channel 5. 2008 – Present 30 Closing Remarks 32 4 CHAPTER 2. LEGITIMACY 34 Legitimacy and Policing by Consent 34 TV Programmes and Legitimacy 39 PVPs and Legitimacy 43 CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY 50 Introduction 50 Newspaper Analysis 50 Thematic Analysis (TA) - Sampling of the Video Material 56 The Time-Lag 59 How the Episodes Were Sampled 61 Data Preparation 66 Thematic Analysis – An Explanation 67 The Thematic Analysis of the Data. 69 Research Interview 73 CHAPTER 4. CHRONOLOGY OF CONCERN 77 Introduction 77 1900-1984: Nothing to See Here 78 1985-1998: The Gathering Storm 86 1999-2011: Overtaken by Events 122 5 CHAPTER 5. FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS 174 Introduction 174 Thematic Analysis Findings 175 Analysis of Findings 190 PVP Causes Danger 190 PVP Minimises Danger 201 The Danger Themes 204 Training 210 Management 220 Adherence to Policy 225 Excitement Cops 226 The Research Questions Answered 232 CHAPTER 6. CONCLUSION 241 List of References 247 Appendices Appendix 1 – Archive Contents List of Relevant Video Material A1 Appendix 2 – List of 51 Episodes Selected as the Sample A14 Appendix 3 – Interview Schedule A17 6 List of Tables and Illustrative Material Figure 1.1. Police Stop 1 VHS Cover 21 Figure 1.2. Police Stop 2 VHS Cover 22 Table 3.1. Number of News Reports Containing Keywords 1980–2011 54 Table 3.2. Episodes Sampled for Research Questions 63 Table 3.3. Strata Sampled and Percentages 1993-2011 65 Table 3.4. Phases of a Thematic Analysis 68 Figure 4.1. Daily Mirror. 7th May 1925. Pg 1 79 Table 4.2. Metropolitan Police PVAs Statistics 1970 – 1984 90 Table 4.3. INQUEST PVP-Related Fatality Statistics 1990 – 1999 101 Figure 4.4. PCA PVP-Related Fatality Statistics 1997/98 – 2000/01 136 Figure 4.5. Daily Star. 25th August 2001. Pg 6 137 Figure 4.6. Daily Express. 25th June 2002. Pg 10 141 Figure 4.7. PCA PVP-Related Fatality Statistics 1997/98 – 2001/02 145 Figure 4.8. Daily Express. 27th January 2005. Pg 1 154 Figure 4.9. The Times. 19th September 2007. Pg 21 162 Figure 4.10. Daily Star 18th September 2007. Pg 15 163 7 List of Tables and Illustrative Material (Continued) Figure 4.11. PCA / IPCC PVP-Related Fatalities 1997/98 - 2011/12 172 Table 5.1. Police Stop. TA Findings. VHS Video (1993 – 1994) 175 Table 5.2. Police Camera Action (POCA). TA Findings. ITV (1995-2008) 177-8 Table 5.3. Instances of Public in Danger Theme in POCA (1995 - 2008) 178 Table 5.4. Instances of PVP Causes Danger Theme in POCA (1995-2008) 178 Table 5.5. X-Cars. TA Findings . BBC One (1996) 180 Table 5.6. Car Wars. TA Findings. BBC One (1999 - 2006) 181 Table 5.7. Traffic Cops. TA Findings. BBC One (2003 – 2011) 182 Table 5.8. Road Wars. TA Findings. Sky One (2003 – 2009) 183-4 Table 5.9. Motorway Cops. TA Findings. BBC One (2009) 185 Table 5.10. Police Interceptors. TA Findings. Channel 5 (2008 - 2011) 186 Table 5.11. Amalgamated TA Findings (All Results) 187 Table 5.12. Amalgamated TA Findings (All results and Percentages) 189 Table 5. 13. POCA. Vignette Recorded & Broadcast Years (2006-2008) 206 8 Acknowledgements The process of researching and writing this PhD thesis has benefitted from the help and support of a number of people on both an academic and personal level. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude here. In the early stages of the project, the late Barbara Hudson was a source of considerable encouragement, as was Dr David Scott and Graham Gooch. The exemplary supervision of Michael Cavadino and Martin O’Brien helped me immeasurably and ensured that the thesis was completed; providing inspiration, guidance and encouragement in exactly the right quantities, precisely when they were required. The work was challenging at times, but always conducted within a supervision framework of good humour and support. It would not have been completed without them. Special thanks are also due to Dr Rob Mawby and Dr Tim Owen who examined the thesis in a professional and good-natured manner for which I am grateful. Staff at the National Police College Library and Greater Manchester Police Museum could not have been more helpful and I’d like to acknowledge the help of John Lockett and UCLan research staff; Bogusia and Margaret. I’d also like to acknowledge the contribution of my interview respondent who was very generous with his time and insights into the world of television production. On a more personal level, my twin brother Martin Deane has provided support in a variety of ways, not least financial. His encouragement has been invaluable. Fellow research students Esther, Munira, Helen and Lola (perhaps unwittingly) provided pastoral support whilst sharing office space. I’d also like to thank my work colleagues, especially Howie for being so flexible with my (often inconvenient) working patterns and likewise the Essentials family. Tom Smith and Dave Orr also merit a mention for their encouragement and support. Finally, I’d like to acknowledge my partner Kim who has been at my side at every step of the way through this journey. It has been tough at times, but her unconditional support and patience has assisted me in more ways than I can possibly ever recount here – thank you so much for everything. 9 Abbreviations and Glossary ACPO Association of Chief Police Officers GoPro A Small Wearable Camera HMIC Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary IDR Incident Data Recorder or ‘Black Box’ IPCC Independent Police Complaints Commission Jump-Cut A Quick Editing Technique NPIA National Police Improvement Agency Ob-Doc Observational Documentary (Film-making Style) PCA Police Complaints Authority PMI Pursuit Management Inspector POCA Police Camera Action (TV Series) PVA Police Vehicle Accident PVP Police Vehicular Pursuit RAC Royal Automobile Club Ride-Along Camera Operator Rides with the Police Series Title A Television Series – e.g. Road Wars TA Thematic Analysis T-PAC Boxing in A Suspect’s Vehicle Using Several Police Cars 10 INTRODUCTION This thesis presents a sociological study of Police Vehicular Pursuits (PVP) and their depiction in observational documentary (ob-doc) television programmes. In addition this thesis also traces the historical development of concern around the issue of PVPs using a variety of sources. The concept of vehicular ‘pursuit and capture’ in law-enforcement is certainly not a new one and can be traced back to the introduction of the motor vehicle (Laybourn & Taylor: 2011). This simple narrative can be seen in both fictional and ‘factual’ images of policing across a variety of media products.