Based on unprecedented empirical research conducted with lower levels of the Afghan police, this unique study assesses how institutional legacy and external intervention, from countries including the UK and the US, have shaped the structural conditions of corruption in the police force and the state.
Taking a social constructivist approach, the book combines an in-depth analysis of internal political, cultural and economic drivers with references to several regime changes affecting policing and security, from the Soviet occupation and Mujahidin militias to Taliban religious police.
Crossing disciplinary boundaries, Singh offers an invaluable contribution to the literature and to anti-corruption policy in developing and conflict-affected societies.
In western liberal democracies the police are viewed as guardians of public safety and enforcers of the law. How accurate is this? Given police violence and the failure of many attempts at reform, attention has turned to other models of managing criminality, including defunding the police and instead funding alternatives to criminalization and incarceration.
This book is the first comprehensive overview of police divestment, using international examples and case studies to reimagine community safety beyond policing and imprisonment.
Showcasing a range of practical examples, this topical book will be relevant for academics, policy makers, activists and all those interested in the Black Lives Matter movement, protest movements and the renewed interest in policing and abolitionism more generally.
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 contexts;
- 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.
What are the current and future challenges in criminal investigation carried out by the police in the UK? How has the role of the detective changed over time and is there a real journey towards professionalism?
Written by an author with extensive practical and training experience, this book provides a comprehensive overview and critical analysis of the development and practice of criminal investigation. It examines decision-making within criminal investigations, from volume crime through to major and serious crime investigations and links investigative influences on policing with the evidence-based agenda. The book:
• discusses the move from the art and craft of detective work to a new science-based professionalism;
• contextualises the current position of investigation within the context of government austerity measures and the College of Policing and Government agendas;
• critically examines models of investigation such as the Core Investigative Doctrine and the Murder Investigation Manual;
• explores the legal framework for modern critical investigations and the role of the IPCC.
Part of Key themes in policing, a textbook series of evidence-based policing books for use within Higher Education curriculums and in practice, this book is suitable for policing and criminal justice programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
The way we think about crime and the way that society responds to it are imbued with values that can determine what is considered important and what gets attention. Sometimes values that are claimed may not be the values expressed in practice, as we see in the multiple and confusing discourses about victims and offenders, punishment and protection, rights and responsibilities.
This collection of writings considers values in crime theory, criminal justice and research practice, uncovering the many different ‘sides’ – to echo Howard Becker’s famous phrase – that criminologists, policy makers and researchers take. It spans Marxist, postmodernist and feminist perspectives on criminology, analyses of the dynamics of race, gender and age, research methods and ethics, the working of the criminal justice system and engages with current debates about new challenges for criminology, such as the green movement and Islamophobia.
This is a timely and thought-provoking collection which will be of interest to academics and students in criminology and criminal justice, and on professional courses, such as probation and youth justice practice.
Police officers deal with mental illness-related incidents on an almost daily basis. Ian Cummins explores how factors such as deinstitutionalisation, community care failings and, more recently, welfare retrenchment policies have led to this situation. He then considers how police officers should be supported by community mental health agencies to make confident and correct decisions, and to ensure that the individuals they encounter receive support from the most appropriate services.
Of interest to police researchers and students of criminology and the social sciences, the book examines police officers’ views on mental health work and includes a chapter by a service user.
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 professionalisation.
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.
Policing is at a turbulent turning point: the pace of change is accelerating with renewed emphasis on crime reduction yet with austerity. This topical book examines what matters in policing, rather than just what works. It compares the implications of restructuring in the UK and The Netherlands, also in the USA, regarding police systems, policing paradigms and research knowledge. The authors, who cover both academia and practice, focus particularly on dilemmas for police leadership relating to strategy, values and operational command. With a foreword by Peter Neyround, University of Cambridge, it argues for developing confident and competent leadership and also provide a comprehensive paradigm to chart policing in the future while retaining trust. It is accessibly written for academics, practitioners, policy makers and students in diverse societies.
A key resource for students, academics and practitioners, this concise guide brings together various concepts vital to the theoretical, policy and practical debates on forensic psychology and its relationship with crime, policing and policing studies.
Covering issues such as criminal behaviour, police decision-making and crime scene investigation, each entry provides a succinct overview of the topic, together with an evaluation of the emerging issues. The text includes:
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associated concepts and further reading from research and practice;
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sample questions;
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references and glossary.
When it comes to adopting evidence-based approaches, does the size of an organization really matter?
This practical guide brings leading police and sociology experts together to demonstrate how police forces of all sizes can successfully embed evidence-based methods by using their strengths and limitations to their advantage. Drawing on experiences of policing in North America, it proposes new ways of strategizing and harnessing the talents of ‘change champions’.
Building on the authors’ widely adopted first book on evidence-based policing, this is essential reading for practitioners, aspiring leaders, students and policy-makers.
