I haven't had much experience with the police in the UK, but here, the police are split in terms of region (e.g. Tayside Police in Tayside and Angus, Grampian Police in Grampian and Aberdeen etc.). There are a few TV programmes which follow the police on their daily pursuits (not 'pursuits' as in car chases. 'Pursuits' as in day-to-day activities, you understand), and while the police may seem helpful, and they are just doing their job, they do earn a fair deal of hate. An example is during the student protests, which threatened to turn into riots. One 20-year-old was beaten over the head by a policeman and his batton, causing a life-threatening head injury. This earned the police a bad name. But it works the other way round too. During the UEFA cup final in Manchester, the Rangers fans rioted and there was a clip of a policeman stumbling and falling backwards, then a gang of about 15-20 Rangers fans surrounded & kicked the fallen policeman.
Pic of the police:
EDIT: P.S. - @yuko81 - If only. A lot of people would be commiting crimes every day just to be repremanded by them. lol