POLICE AUTONOMY VERSUS POLICE AUTHORITY - A PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE (FROM POLICE COMMUNITY - DIMENSIONS OF AN OCCUPATIONAL SUBCULTURE, 1974, BY J GOLDSMITH AND S S GOLDSMITH - SEE NCJ-14809)

• NCJ Number: 29352
• Author(s): J H REIMAN
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 9 pages
• Corporate Author: Palisades Publishers
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE POSSIBILITY OF AN AUTONOMOUS POLICE PROFESSION I.E., ONE IN WHICH POLICE AND POLICE ACTIONS ARE JUDGED SOLELY BY THE POLICE, IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE SOCIAL CONTRACT FROM WHICH ALL POLICE AUTHORITY IS DERIVED.

Abstract

THE AUTHOR RELIES ON THE ARGUMENTS OF JOHN LOCKE, WHO EXPLAINED WHY FREE MEN FREELY CHOSE TO BE GOVERNED BY LAWS. USING THIS LOGIC, IT FOLLOWS THAT AN INCREASE IN POLICE AUTONOMY UNDERMINES POLICE AUTHORITY.