NCJ Number
104642
Date Published
1986
Length
40 pages
Annotation
Eight trends in policing in Great Britain have increased police remoteness from citizens and adversely impacted policing as measured by the criteria of effectiveness, identity, participation, legitimacy, justice, and consent.
Abstract
Effectiveness refers to the extent to which citizens perceive police as achieving citizen expectations, and identity involves citizens' identifying with police interests and values. Citizen participation includes informal and formal means for expressing opinions about and being involved in policing. Legitimacy relates to citizen perceptions that police are behaving in accord with rules and values for policing, and justice refers to the extent to which police actions are viewed by citizens as fair and warranted by the circumstances. Citizens' consent to policing practices is related to the other factors, in that such consent is likely to be forthcoming when the aforementioned factors produce a positive evaluation of police. Trends which have detracted from police fulfillment of citizen expectations are centralization, professionalization, specialization, policing methods, police equipment, conduct, fairness, and the politicization of the British police. Various aspects of these trends have increased police remoteness from citizens and detracted from citizens' positive image of the police. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act of 1984 and the 1985 Prosecution of Offenses Act have not grappled with these trends and their impact. 106 notes