NCJ Number
134395
Journal
Police Studies Volume: 14 Issue: 3 Dated: (Fall 1991) Pages: 107-120
Date Published
1991
Length
14 pages
Annotation
The essential police mandate -- to maintain public order -- has remained continuous for all Australian police forces since its colonialization 200 years ago. The interpretation of that mandate has been made by members of an autonomous bureaucracy and has varied greatly.
Abstract
Recent research into Australian policing history has identified several factors essential to understanding adequately the country's policing historiography. These include a greater emphasis on the role of the courts, an awareness of the imperial context of policing in former British colonies, recognition of the bureaucratization of police forces, and an analysis of the relationships between police forces and other public institutions. Many recent studies have noted the accidental nature of Australian policing developments. For example, the Common Law was introduced for political rather than legal reasons, major changes to colonial policing were prompted by economic rather than political reasons, and police discretion was often used based on moral rather than political or legal reasons. 37 notes and 87 references