Strategic Policing - Literature review Example

Strategic Policing Introduction In the article, “Neighbourhood Policing and the Reinvention of the Constable”, Stephen Savage critically looks at the phenomena of neighbourhood policing from different angles. He examines key drivers or influencers of neighborhood policing and the implications of adopting neighbourhood policing. Savage particularly emphasises on the impact that neighbourhood policing would have on the role of constables. His basic premise on neighbourhood policing and its impact on the office of the constable is that it re-invents, empowers and enriches the role of the constable to a community leader or an advanced constable whose main role include; mobilising and coordinating local people and organisations in response to crime1. Savage strongly argues that, although neighbourhood policing was introduced as part of police reforms in Britain, it is inevitably bound to complicate the pattern of police reform. By empowering rather than constraining the power or authority of the constable it becomes incongruent to the reform agenda2. Basically, Savage’s sentiments in this article elicit different debatable views regarding the impact that neighbourhood policing may have on the role of constables. This paper seeks to critically examine and assess the rationale, plausibility and practicability of Savage’s sentiments in relations to constables taking on increasingly advanced and skilled roles within neighbourhood policing. This paper will also present the personal views of the author on the role of constables within neighbourhood policing and discuss the future role of constables based on Savage’s hypothesis. Reinvention of the constable According to Quinton and Morris, neighbourhood policing is an approach that focuses on increasing contact between the police and the community in specific geographic areas so as to ensure that police work is more responsive and directed towards the needs of people within the local community.3 Similarly, Savage observes that neighbourhood policing was introduced in a bid to make the police more engaged, accountable and responsive to the priorities and needs of local communities4. Based on Savage’s observation on the purpose of neighbourhood policing, it is worth questioning whether neighbourhood policing reinvents the role of the constable or imposes a different role or increased responsibility on the constables. In order to establish this, it is foremost crucial to critically examine the traditional role of the constable. According to the Police Federation, the constable’s key role involves policing communities and ensuring security and cohesion at the local, national and international level5. Innes notes that, prior to the introduction of neighbourhood policing in the 1980’s, “Reassurance Policing” was the core of police reforms in Britain. Under Reassurance Policing, the key role of the constable entailed, cooperating and collaborating with the stakeholders and the general public in the fight against crime and developing interventions against disorders and crime. Moreover, under Reassurance Policing, constables were expected to be visible, accessible and familiar with the needs of the community that they operate it. They were also expected to implement effective policing6. Innes further notes that, over time Reassurance Policing was gradually relegated as the core policy reform to pave way for neighbourhood policy mainly because it detached the role of the constable such that the police were not able to effectively meet the specific needs of the local community. With time it became evident that there was need for constables to adopt a more responsive, localised and problem-oriented approach to policing hence the introduction of neighbourhood policing7. Based on the literature reviewed in the above section in relations to the conventional role of the constable, it becomes apparent that Savage’s sentiments about the reinvention and increased role of the constable within neighbourhood policy are rational and plausible. In his article, Savage postulates that within neighbourhood policing, the office of the constable is bound to take up increasingly skilled and advanced roles8. The Police Federation report reviewed in the above section depicts a more general role of the constable’s office9. Similarly Innes suggests that, although the Reassurance Policing approach focuses on using both soft and hard policing in order to address the demands of general public, it fails to ensure more responsiveness to the needs of the local community10. Hence, both Innes and Savage agree the introduction of neighbourhood policing would bring about shift in the role of the constable. Innes portrays that within neighbourhood policing, the police service would gain a stronger brand identity and take up increased roles and responsibilities in community policing.11 In reference to ACPO, Savage observes that within neighbourhood policing, the role of the constable will shift “from the traditional‘sole trader’, omni-competent model…to one where the Advanced Constable on performing demanding tasks at a higher level of expertise12,13”. To further prove the rationality and plausibility of Savage’s sentiments that neighbourhood policing is bound to re-invent, empower and enrich the role of the constable, Alderson predicted that following the implementation of neighbourhood policing, the community constable will take up the role of a high status officer who supervises informal organisations within the community in order ensure safe and secure communities14. Similarly, according Home Office, within neighbourhood policing, the constable is portrayed as working as a community leader in meeting the security priorities of the local community15. Furthermore, in an empirical study conducted by Mclean and Hillier, it was established that neighbourhood policing has had significant impact on the roles that constables take up and how they spend their time. Generally, this study shows that neighbourhood police officers take up increasing responsibilities and more advance roles within the community16. Weisburd and Braga are also of the opinion that neighbourhood policing has broaden the organisation goals of the constable’s office and has changed the way in which constables are organised to achieve their goals17. In reference to the literatures reviewed in the above section, it is plausible to argue that Savage’s sentiments that neighbourhood policing is bound to re-invent, empower and enrich the role of the constable are rationale and plausible. This is mainly because, neighbourhood policing focuses on increasing the responsiveness of the police to the specific needs of the local community. In order to enhance police responsiveness to local needs, there is definitely a strong need for the police to collaborate and engage with the community up-close and become actively involved in safeguarding the security and welfare of the community. Given that police have access to information on crime and knowledge on how crime can be addressed, they are inevitably bound to take up a lead role in the fight against crime within the community. Consequently, police officers become community leaders with increased responsibilities and undertake demanding roles at a higher level of expertise18. Critical analysis In his article, Savage has portrayed an elaborate picture on the role that constables will adopt in neighbourhood policing. Generally, this paper agrees with Savage that the effective adoption of neighbourhood policing will eventually cause a shift in the role played by constables. In essence, this paper agrees that constables are going to shift from being ‘generalists’ to ‘specialists’ and rather than continue carrying out a wide range of functions which require low-skills they will focus on specific and demanding roles that require higher level of expertise19. Although, this paper believes that neighbourhood policing would lead to the reinvention of the constable’s role, it does not find that the role of constables in neighbourhood policing is implementable, feasible or practical. This paper finds Savage’s suggestion that neighbourhood policing is bound to complicate the pattern of police reform in Britain to be very true. Empowering rather than constraining the power or authority of the constable is incongruent to the police reform agenda. 20 This is mainly because it complicates the role of the constable and exerts too much responsibility and burden on the constable’s office. For instance, under neighbourhood policing, constables are expected to implement policing activities that are not only oriented towards tackling crime but also building feelings of security amongst community members. Furthermore, constables are expected to take-up a lead role in identifying, scoping and mobilising individuals and communities towards the fight against crime. They are also expected to guide and control groups of people in the community who have volunteered to take part in community policing21,22. This paper finds these roles to be extremely demanding on the office of the constable hence, it would be difficult for constables to effectively adopt the reinvented role as envisioned in the Labour Government’s White Paper, “Building Communities, Beating Crime” and Savages sentiments23. McLean’s and Hiller’s study provides an insightful glimpse on the implications of reinventing the role of the constable within neighbourhood policing. The findings of this study show that under neighbourhood policing, police officers spent a considerable amount of time on paperwork and custody processes. Officers were less able to effectively manage their time and accurately predict resources required at scenes. Additionally, the roles of the officers seemed to be susceptible to more variability in workload24. Evidently, the findings of this study resonate with the sentiments that Savage has put has across. Savage strongly emphasises that although neighbourhood policing was introduced as part of police reforms in Britain, it is inevitably bound to complicate the pattern of police reform. This is mainly because it empowers and provides mandate to the constables’ office to execute increasingly specialised roles within the local community25. Consequently, it is likely that when police officers adopt more responsibilities that require higher expertise, their efficiency and effectiveness is bound to be jeopardised as McLean and Hiller established in their study26. McLaughlin notes that, neighbourhood policing was introduced as part of the second phase of police reform in a bid to promote localism of policing. Essentially, neighbourhood policing was introduced so as to promote more police responsiveness to the priorities and needs of people in the local communities27. One of Savage’s observations regarding the implications of reinventing the constable is that, it will inhibit the pattern of police reforms in Britain28. Based on Savage’s observations, it is worth questioning, how does the reinvented constable role inhibit the pattern of police reforms? A critical look at the National Policing Plan provides insights on how empowering the role of the constable contravenes with the pattern of police reform. According to the National Policing Plan which was developed so as to bring about reforms in policing, the intended pattern of police reform involved regulation and containment of police mandate and discretion over policy and decision-making. Thus neighbourhood policing is incongruent with the pattern of police reforms since it reinvents the role of the constable by empowering constables to become community leaders29. This paper agrees with Savage’s sentiment that empowering the role of the constable may alter the pattern of police reform. As a result of the conservatism culture of the constable’s office, officers may become complacent and occasionally misuse their position in the community. This paper holds that the empowerment and extension of police authority to a community leader may contribute to needless net-widening thus failing to realise justice and curb crime effectively within the community30. Future role of a constable Based on Savage’s hypothesis, the future role of a constable will involve acting as a community leader who guides, controls and manages individual volunteers and community-based organisations in an effort to prevent and combat crime. A constable will adopt a problem-oriented approach where he/she is charged with the responsibility of gathering data on the issues affecting the community and approaches that can be used to address the identified issues. Secondly, a constable’s role will involve analysing and interpreting data, crime incidences and causes of issues affecting the community in which they are based. Moreover, Savage postulates that the future role of a constable will involve mobilising community members, harnessing resources within the community and directing these resources towards the realisation of safe, secure and cohesive communities31. In addition to this, Savage hypothesises that in future the role of a constable will shift from generalists to a specialist. In essence, constables will take on more specific roles in community policing. Savage further observes that constables will take on more advanced roles that require high level of expertise. Constables will become leaders of doers rather than doers. They will exercise their discretion and make decisions on issues relating to security of the local community32. Conclusion Basically, this paper has critically assessed and examined Savage’s sentiments on “Neighbourhood Policing and the Reinvention of the Constable”. The findings of this paper show that Savage’s sentiments are rationale and plausible. In this article, he postulates that neighbourhood policing re-invents, empowers and enriches the role of the constable to a community leader or an advanced constable whose main role include; mobilising and coordinating local people and organisations in response to crime33. This paper agrees with Savage that the effective adoption of neighbourhood policing will eventually cause a shift in the role played by constables. However, this paper finds that the role of constables in neighbourhood policing is not implementable, feasible or practical. It finds Savage’s suggestion that neighbourhood policing is bound to complicate the pattern of police reform in Britain to be very true. Neighbourhood policing is incongruent with the pattern of police reforms since it empowers the role of constables whereas the reform agenda under the National Policing Plan sought to constrain the discretion and power of the constable34. Bibliography ACPO. ACPO National Workforce Modernisation Programme, (2007) accessed on 4 January 2013 Alderson, J., Policing Freedom, 1979. Plymouth, MA, Macdonald and Evans. 1979, p.204 Barkan,S. & Bryjack, G., Fundamentals of criminal justice: A sociological view, Jones & Bartlett Learning, Ontario, 2011, pp. 232-274. Innes, M. ‘Why “Soft” Policing is Hard: On the Curious Development of Reassurance Policing, How it Became Neighbourhood Policing and What This Signifies about the Politics of Police Reform’. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, vol 15 no.3, 2005, pp. 156-169. Home Office, Building Communities: Beating Crime, London, Home Office, 2004, p. 79. McLean, F. & Hillier, J. An observational study of response and neighbourhood officers, National Policing Improvement Agency [Online Report] (2011) accessed on 4 January 2013 McLaughlin, E. “Forcing the Issue: New Labour, New Localism and the Democratic Renewal of Police Accountability.” Howard Journal, vol 44, no. 5,2005, pp. 473-489. Savage, S.P., ‘Neighbourhood Policing and the Reinvention of the Constable’,Policing, vol 1, no.2, 2007, pp. 203-213. Police Federation, The Office of the Constable: The bedrock of the modern day British Policing, [Online Report] (2008)p. 7 accessed on 4 January 2013 Quinton, P. & Morris, J. ‘Neighbourhood policing: the impact of piloting and early national implementation’, Home Office [Online Report] (2008), p.1 accessed on 4 January 2013 Weisburd, D. & Braga, A. Police innovation: Contrasting perspectives, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press 2006, pp. 46-52. Read More