NCJ Number
137694
Journal
Policing and Society Volume: 2 Dated: (1992) Pages: 233-243
Date Published
1992
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Northern Ireland's Police Liaison Committees (PLC's) are intended to promote positive relations between the police and the public, to facilitate constructive dialog on policing matters, and to foster solutions to local problems.
Abstract
The analysis of PLC's concludes, however, that they differ markedly from models advocated by the Home Office and the Northern Ireland Police Authority. PLC's are typically small groups of elected elites who are not broad-based or anchored in the community. Almost all are chaired and dominated by members of one religion and one political persuasion (Protestants and Unionists). Two-thirds of PLC's are preoccupied with mundane or trivial issues, such as traffic problems, teenage drinking, vandalism, and street lighting. Other important problems never reach the PLC agenda, including improved police-community relations, patterns and trends in complaints against the police, police policies, and community attitudes toward the police. Despite their drawbacks, existing PLC's provide a foundation for the development of a more effective liaison system, one that incorporates broader representation of differing opinions, encourages the discussion of more serious issues, and enhances police-community relations. 17 references and 16 notes