Cryptic crossword clue
Criminal, brutal say, thrashed coppers 12

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word CONSTABULARY

I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "coppers" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case coppers = constabulary.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does CONSTABULARY mean?

CONSTABULARY noun
  1. A police force.
  2. The police in a particular district or area.
CONSTABULARY adjective
  1. Of, or relating to constables.
  2. Characteristic to police; police-like, rather than military.

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