Key themes in policing

Taking an evidence-based approach to understanding police culture, this thorough and accessible book critically reviews existing research and offers new insights on theories and definitions. Tom Cockcroft, an authority on the subject, addresses a range of contemporary issues including diversity, police reform and police professionalization. This invaluable review: - Identifies and discusses differing conceptions of police culture; - Explores the contribution of different disciplinary and methodological approaches to our understanding of police culture; - Assesses how culture relates to many different operational aspects of policing; - Contextualises our understanding of police culture in relation to both contemporary police agendas and wider social change. For students, researchers and police officers alike, this is an accessible and timely appraisal of police culture.

In a critical analysis of conventional understanding, leading authors Claire Davis and Marisa Silvestri present bold new conceptualisations of police leadership. Drawing on empirical research in criminology, sociology and leadership studies, they present a thoughtful critique of the nature and practice of leadership in contemporary policing. The book: - Critically explores the identities of leaders and their positions within wider organisational structures and processes; - Provides a critique of contemporary reform to police professionalisation, training and education, equalities and diversity by situating these developments within wider historical, social and political context; - Draws on critical theory to offer an alternative, challenging and novel interpretation of police leaders as not simply the result of individual experiences and attitudes, but of the social, institutional and historical processes of policing and the cultures that exist within it; - Points towards future directions and a reimagining of leadership in the police. Accessible and stimulating, this is an essential text for policing students and valuable reading for current leaders and those interested in policing, criminology and leadership.

How does society hold its police to account? It's a vital part of upholding law and liberty but changing modes of policing delivery and new technologies call for fresh thinking about the way we guard our guards. This much-needed new book from leading criminology professor Michael Rowe, part of the 'Key Themes in Policing' series, explores issues of governance, discipline and transparency, ranging across subjects including ethics, governance, discipline and transparency. The landmark new study: • Showcases how social change and rising inequalities make it more difficult to ensure meaningful accountability; • Addresses the impact of Evidence-Based Policing strategies on the direction and control of officers; • Sets out a game-changing agenda for ensuring democratic and answerable policing. For policing students and practitioners, it's an essential guide to modern-day accountability.

With debate about police ethics intensifying, this stimulating book considers afresh the fundamental role of officers and their relations with society. - It is a comprehensive and up to date introduction to ethical policing, taking a moral philosophical perspective to the evidence base and literature on the subject. - Leading contemporary thinker Dominic Wood tackles the ethical issues of policing as a matter of compliance and discipline and reviews them in the context of contemporary challenges in policing and the wider criminal justice framework. - From the parameters of moral policing to the role of human rights to embedding ethics within police operations, this is a thorough overview of the subject of police ethics and legitimacy, and a springboard for further research and analysis. A timely contribution to discussions about the police and their legitimacy, this is essential reading for all those studying, teaching and leading the profession.

The book provides a comprehensive overview and critical analysis of current and future challenges in criminal investigation carried out by the police in the UK. It is the first work to link investigative current influences on policing and the evidence-based agenda and considers the competing agendas of professionalization and austerity, analyzing the consequences of these developments in the field. Written by an author with extensive practical and training experience, the book traces the development of the detective, and discusses their training and education. Investigative decision-making is also analyzed, together with the legal framework within which modern detectives work and how much of this they should understand. Success and failure in criminal investigation is analyzed, with reference to current research and available literature. Offering an up-to-date resource for those studying the area, this important textbook is suitable for policing and criminal justice programs at undergraduate and postgraduate level by providing a comprehensive analysis of the research-based evidence. Part of Key Themes in Policing, a textbook series of evidence based policing books for use within Higher Education curriculums and in practice, edited by Megan O'Neill, Marisa Silvestri and Stephen Tong.

The police increasingly need to work with other government agencies, the third sector, community organisations and the private sector, an approach known as "Plural Policing". This book critically analyses the rise of this approach in England and Wales over the past decade, giving examples of national and international practice. Written by an author with experience in both practice and academia, it discusses the consequences of this approach for the historical model of policing provision and challenges views on how policing should be delivered in the future. Part of Key themes in policing, a textbook series designed to fill a growing need for research-informed policing within Higher Education curriculums and in practice, edited by Megan O'Neill, Marisa Silvestri & Stephen Tong, this accessible text, aimed primarily at undergraduate students, will appeal widely across different modules and tie into important issues covered on all policing courses.

Although police intelligence is becoming increasingly reliant on technology, it remains a human activity. This is the first textbook to offer a comprehensive and up-to-date account of police intelligence work based on current research, and to assess how intelligence may be used wisely and ethically to influence policing policy and practice. After explaining the basic tenets of intelligence, the author, who has extensive experience in the field, critically examines the development of intelligence structures and governance of contemporary intelligence collection. He goes on to assess the threats and opportunities to policing in the digital age, including the widespread use of social media and the emergence of 'Big Data'. Part of a new series for students and practitioners designed to reflect the importance of incorporating 'evidence based policing' within the curriculum and practice, this much-needed textbook covers not only the technical aspects of intelligence work but also encourages reflexivity in practice.