College of Policing - Essay Example

Lecturer’s QUESTION 2 The introduction of the College of Policing: Implication on Police Image, the Police Professionalization and Modernisation Agenda. COLLEGE OF POLICING Is it important for the police to maintain a good image, while maintaining their professionalism and pursuing the modernisation agenda? There are a number of reasons as to why the image of the police is measured. First, it provides an indicator of support from the citizens. It is very important to understand how the public views the police because this is a crucial step in improving the relationship between the police and the community. It is therefore on this basis that it was thought that policing college should be established in order to increase professionalism in this institution. In 2012, the College of Policing was established but was officially launched in 4th February 2013. The college is a professional body for the police both in England and Wales. It was established with the intention of taking over quite a number of training and development roles that initially were the responsibility of the National Policing Improvement Agency. At first, the college was created as a company limited by guarantee, but it has since been converted into an independent statutory authority following the passing of legislation by Government. In the U.K, the reform agenda in the police service and policing in a bid to realize a more well-equipped police service was scaled even higher when the government proposed the establishment of the College of Policing. The institution will be an independent one whose principal tasks will include instilling professionalism and enhancing professional development in policing. The institution’s mission is very clearly defined- to safeguard the public in and while policing and to support combat of crime through instilling professionalism in policing (Home Office, 2012). The National Policing Improvement Agency has been carrying out the tasks defined but the College of Policing will take over these functions. In this paper, the author is of the opinion that professionalism has gradually become a principal modernization agenda in modern public service delivery, which also includes policing. The introduction of this College will transform police service and also how the policing are perceived in the UK. If the College of Policing exploits its mandate and optimally committed to the realization of various roles as stipulated in the policy framework forming it, then there are so much to expect in terms of realizing the police professionalization and modernisation agenda in policing. According to the Home Office, the governmental department in charge of policing and policing reforms is the College of Policing which will ensure that it safeguards public interest develops policing standards and also establish evidence of best policing practices (Home Office, 2012). It is from these duties that emphasis is seen to be on service delivery and a customer-centred approach to service delivery is to be adopted. These are the pillars of modernised policing (Wood &MacAlister, 2005). The need to step up best policing practices is quite prominent in these specified roles. It is important to note that the negative perception and lack of confidence in the police and by extension its systems in the UK have had very little optimism of ever being redeemed. This tarnished image goes back decades and improving the image will require “less talk and more actions”. The institution has suffered from numerous allegations, ranging from lawlessness and its disregard for human rights, to several other adverse claims (Wood &MacAlister, 2005; Raine &Keasey, 2012). Take for instance the 1989 Hillsborough disaster where the police have been accused of not conducting themselves properly. It is alleged that testimonies were altered and reports indicate that quite a good number of those who died could have been saved. Compare this with the recent allegations made by the police watchdog that there have been reported about 8, 500 corruption claims in the past three years yet only 13 officers have been found guilty. In short what the author is trying to say is that the body has its work cut out for it. It is not going to be a mean task and it will require the leadership of this body to be determined enough to meet its goals. Some arguments have been made that the police should be run in the same manner as a profit making corporation, the only difference being that it will not be making any profits. Such corporations work on the premise that the “customer is the King and he is always right!” (In the police’s situation, the customer is the public.) This is contrary to the police institution where they believe that the customer is inferior to them and therefore should not be treated with respect and dignity. Based on the previously stated premise, there have been proposals that the College of Policing should be run by a civilian- a person without a policing background. The rationale behind this is so that this proposed person may instil the virtues and culture that have made some corporations very successful especially in terms of customer care. Such proposals of course will always remain as proposals as they rarely translate into reality. While setting out to improve the institution’s image, this will also build public confidence in the policing system. Some tenets of police professionalization include; delivery of satisfactory customer service, a positive public image and being both accountable and responsible. These tenets are very vital if the body is to address the foregoing concerns (Wood &MacAlister, 2005). The College of Policing is expected to completely overhaul the existing administrative structures and personnel with hopefully new faces and names. Hopefully not confirming the old saying that- the more things change, the more they remain the same. There is a feeling that the public is willing to give the College of Policing the benefit of doubt, as it is expected to polish up the policing system. This body was formed on the premise of police reforms, and its establishment is expected to significantly attenuate the entrenched negative perceptions, a feat that would be very difficult to achieve if equivalent reforms were to be advanced through the formerly existing systems such as the National Policing Improvement Agency- NPIA. It would be naive for us to assume that the police can achieve the previously discussed public and customer centred values without equipping them with the necessary tools for professionalism and aptitude. It is quite commendable that the policy makers were alive to this fact. One of the core areas of priority for the body is to provide and support education as well as the professionalism of the police and policing staff (Home Office, 2012). The body is further mandated to make and spearhead any collaborative arrangements that are deemed necessary to achieve these roles, and therefore, it has been granted discretion in seeking the best options as far as equipping the police and polishing staff both educationally and professionally are concerned (Home Office, 2012). The author is of the view that some of the concerns raised against the policing system, for instance bureaucracy, harassment and poor customer services would be significantly reduced if better training and principles of effective public service were enhanced. It is assumed that police that are adequately trained and highly educated are more likely to clearly understand the bounds and scope of their duties. This by extension will help reduce bureaucracy especially in relation to powers, procedures and processes that are discretionary or not mandatory. It is expected that the police will become more professional and also improve on their service delivery especially if the body oversees the motivation of police workforce. Human resource management scholars have singled out motivation as a central determinant of success in any organization (Baumeister &Vohs, 2004; Jones 2008). There are suspicions that police officers and police staff are lowly or poorly motivated and as a result, they perform poorly. The question then comes how do we motivate the police? There is a common misconception that employee motivation only revolves around financial parameters like increase in pay and better allowances. However research has proven that monetary compensation is the least motivating factor. To expound further on this, we shall delve a little into a motivational theory by Hertzberg- the Two Factor Theory. Hertzberg was of the opinion that there are two factors in motivation: i. Hygiene Factors. These are those factors whose presence does not motivate the employees but whose absence will make them dissatisfied thus affecting their performance. They include; pay, interpersonal relationships, working conditions and job security. ii. Motivational Factors. On the other hand, these factors motivate the employees they are also referred to as satisfiers as they satisfy the employees. These factors motivate employees to perform better. They include; recognition, responsibility, growth and development. Let us now relate this to the police force. Their working conditions have not been the best and there is a lot of room for improvement. For instance; their offices are not very appealing, they seem squeezed and cluttered. Their pay also does not flatter one and this also does not help especially in attracting the best personnel. But the real problem comes in the motivational factors, those that are not tangible. This include; delegation of duties from the top management to junior employees as well as granting discretionary powers in cases where it is prudent to do so (Jones 2008; Weightman, 2008). The police institution is synonymous with workers who have been in the same position for almost 20 years. These can be very demoralising as well as monotonous. Imagine waking up every day to go to the same office, sit on the same desk while having the same facilities. The most vital thing while motivating employees is not to focus on the financial aspects however they should not be totally disregarded. Thus, financial constraint should not be a major hindrance to police motivation and this is where the College of Policing will come in handy. Stakeholder interest is yet another point of emphasis in public administration that is jealously guarded while instituting the College of Policing. The principle of stakeholder interest demands that organizations be sensitive and also sufficiently address the interests of diverse groups and individuals who are affected by the organization’s activities (Freeman& Reed,1983; Post, 2002). In this context, key stakeholders include the police officers, members of the public and the government. In ensuring that all relevant parties’ interests are catered to, the structure of the College of Policing comprises both non-police and police representatives. These representatives are not appointees but are voted for in a democratic process. It is noteworthy that this is not just a matter of mere representation, but protecting the interests of the group being represented. The government is represented through the Home Office which will oversee and supervise the activities of the institution. All these representatives are accountable and answerable to the various groups that they protect, and therefore, it is expected that a healthy balance of public and police interest will be realized. From the foregoing discussions, it is crystal clear that the establishment of the College of Policing is a major stepping stone towards the realization of police reforms, professionalization and modernisation agenda. The institution of the police has long been vilified for its unprofessional conduct and lack of modernisation. For a very long time the country has developed immensely in terms of technology however the police institution has lagged behind. The college is aimed towards addressing such issues. The body’s mission, mandate and specific duties revolve around the enhancement and development of professionalism in the police service, protection of public interest, and efficient customer-centred service delivery. The aforementioned values are germane to redeeming public confidence in the police and policing system, modernization of police service and also better approaches to meeting policing concerns which include safety and security issues. The public is a very harsh customer and failure to properly deliver on services can result in very harsh criticism. However, it is important to let the College of Policing get on with its job before the public which is accustomed to being the judge and the jury delivers the verdict and also sentences it. With that being said, the body should be afforded the benefit of doubt and allowed to carry out its functions without any hindrances as the public awaits to audit it. This is not to mean that the body should engage in meaningless activities until they realize that their time is running out upon which they then set out to become a ‘busy body’. They should hit the ground running, knowing very well that the public is watching. Any wrong move and they will be lynched. Summary of what I have Added First of all, the College of Policing had not been properly introduced and it was not clear initially why, when or how it came into being. Therefore the author simply added the background the body. In the fourth paragraph, initially there was reference to allegations made toward the police. This however was very general and no examples were provided. For better understanding, the writer has now added some examples in order for the reader to full comprehend his train of thought. The examples include the Hillsborough Disaster where an estimated 96 people died, allegedly due to negilgence from the police and also the police watchdog whcih reports that around 8, 500 corruption cases have been reported in the past three years yet only 15 police officers have been found guilty. In the subsequent paragraph, the author discusses the proposal made that the College of Polcing should be headed by a civilian instead of a police officer. The rationale behind this is that the police should adhere to the same principles as profit making corporations. Such corporations are based on proper customer care and enhancing efficiency. They believe that the customer is the King and is always right. A far cry from what is seen in police stations. The author also discusses at length the issue on motivation. He based this on hertzberg’s Two Factor Theory which has been very well expounded in the article. He categorised motivation in two factors: i. Hygiene Factors ii. Motivational Factors The pargraph on motivation is then followed by one where the author relates the topic to the question at hand- policing and policing systems. The author draws a conclusion based on the theory above- that lack of sufficient funds is a mere excuse for not motivating employees. Motivation can come in several shapes and sizes and if anything, monetary compensation is among the factors that least motivate employees. After this, the author then concluded. His conclusion was a clarion call to the members of the public to afford the College of Policing adequate time to pursue its agenda and avoid passing judgement on it prematurely. This was however with a caution to the body not to assume that being provided with time could be translated to mean that they could for the first few years simply gallavant and waste resources from the public coffers. BIBLIOGRAPHY Baumeister, R.F. &Vohs, K.D. (2004).Handbook of self-regulation: Research, theory, and applications, New York: Guilford Press, Freeman, R. E.& Reed, D.L. (1983). Stockholders and Stakeholders: A new perspective on Corporate Governance. California Management Review. 25(3), 88-106 Home Office. (2012). Police Reform. Retrieved December 1, 2012 from http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk Jones, I. (2008), The Human Factor: Inside the CIA's Dysfunctional Intelligence Culture. New York: Encounter Books. Joyce,P. (2011). Police reform: from police authorities to police and crime commissioners. Safer Communities, 10(4), 5 – 13. Post, J. (2002). Redefining the Corporation: Stakeholder Management and Organizational Wealth. Stanford University Press Punch, M. (2009). Police Corruption. Deviance, accountability and reform in policing. Cullompton: Willan Raine, R.W. &Keasey, P. (2012). From Police Authorities to Police and Crime Commissioners: Might policing become more publicly accountable?.International Journal of Emergency Services, 1 (2), 122 - 134 The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, UK Weightman, J. (2008) . The Employee Motivation Audit. London: Cambridge Strategy Publications Wood, D.A. &MacAlister, D. (2005) .Accountable, independent and responsive: the need for balance in police governance. International Journal of Police Science and Management. 7(3),197-207. Zedner, L. (2006) . Policing Before and After the Police: The Historical Antecedents of Contemporary Crime Control. The British Journal of Criminology78-96 , 46(1) Read More