Peter Joyce

Police reform: from police authorities to police and crime commissioners

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consider the background of the proposal contained in the coalition governments Police and Social Responsibility legislation to replace police authorities with directly elected police and crime commissioners (PCCs) and to evaluate the potential problems that will arise from this reform.Design/methodology/approach – The research is library‐based, utilising a range of primary and secondary sources. The objectives of the research are addressed by examining a number of key themes: the creation of police authorities; the evolution of police authorities; the target regime; consequences of increased central control over policing; the Community Empowerment agenda; the reform of police authorities; the 2010 coalition government and PCCs; problems posed by PCCs; and the progress of reform.Findings – The research established that the role performed by police authorities in the governance of policing was in need of reform, in particular because of their inability to ensure th...

Disaffected communities, riots and policing: Manchester 1981 and 2011

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the disorders that occurred in Manchester in 1981 and 2011 with the aim of comparing the similarities and differences that have been put forward to explain why these events occurred. The paper further seeks to evaluate the tactics that might be used in future years to police disaffected communities.Design/methodology/approach – The research for this paper is library‐based, making considerable use of primary sources that relate to events in 1981 and 2011. The objectives of this research are addressed by examining a number of key themes: the 1981 Moss Side riot: explanations for the 1981 Moss Side riot: the 2011 riots in Greater Manchester: explanations of the causes of the 2011 riots in Manchester: the future policing of disaffected communities in Manchester.Findings – The research established that although there were many similarities in the events that occurred in 1981 and 2011, there were also important differences that reflect social, economic and cultu...

The Police and Crime Commissioner elections, November 2012

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the elections for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs). It seeks to analyse the policies put forward by the candidates and evaluate the significance of the elections for the future landscape of policing.Design/methodology/approach – The research for this paper is library based, making particular use of primary source material. The objectives for this research are organised around key themes – preparations for the elections, the election contest, the election campaign and key issues that were raised, the election results and the significance of the introduction of the office of PCC for the future landscape of policing.Findings – The research established that most candidates put forward policies that would seek to skew policing towards combating low level crime and disorder. It highlighted issues relevant to the future landscape of policing, including the relationships forged between chief constables and PCCs, the politicisation of policing and the extent t...

A Dictionary of Criminal Justice

Introduction Part 1: Definitions Part 2: Key Acts Part 3: Key Documents 4. Internet Sources Index

The 2016 Police and Crime Commissioner elections

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the 2016 elections for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and to compare them with those that took place in 2012. It seeks to evaluate the background of the candidates who stood for office in 2016, the policies that they put forward, the results of the contests and the implications of the 2016 experience for future PCC elections. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based around several key themes – the profile of candidates who stood for election, preparations conducted prior to the contests taking place, the election campaign and issues raised during the contests, the results and the profile of elected candidates. The paper is based upon documentary research, making particular use of primary source material. Findings The research establishes that affiliation to a political party became the main route for successful candidates in 2016 and that local issues related to low-level criminality will dominate the future policing agenda. It establishes that although turnout was higher than in 2012, it remains low and that further consideration needs to be devoted to initiatives to address this for future PCC election contests. Research limitations/implications The research focusses on the 2016 elections and identifies a number of key issues that emerged during the campaign affecting the conduct of the contests which have a bearing on future PCC elections. It treats these elections as a bespoke topic and does not seek to place them within the broader context of the development of the office of PCC. Practical implications The research suggests that in order to boost voter participation in future PCC election contests, PCCs need to consider further means to advertise the importance of the role they perform and that the government should play a larger financial role in funding publicity for these elections and consider changing the method of election. Social implications The rationale for introducing PCCs was to empower the public in each police force area. However, issues that include the enhanced importance of political affiliation as a criteria for election in 2016 and the social unrepresentative nature of those who stood for election and those who secured election to this office in these contests coupled with shortcomings related to public awareness of both the role of PCCs and the timing of election contests threaten to undermine this objective. Originality/value The extensive use of primary source material ensures that the subject matter is original and its interpretation is informed by an academic perspective.

Introduction – Conventional Politics and Protest

This chapter will consider a range of factors that relate to the role played by protest in the contemporary politics of the UK. It will argue that there has been a decline in popular involvement in conventional political activity since the latter decades of the twentieth century which had created political space for citizen involvement in a range of other mechanisms (collectively termed protest or ‘extra-parliamentary political activities’) in order to bring about policy changes. The chapter will argue that for some people, this constitutes an alternative to conventional politics as the mechanism through which to inaugurate change but for others it acts as a supplement to conventional political activity.

The UK State, Protest and Terrorism

This chapter draws upon material discussed in chapters 2–6 and analyses some of the key trends in the manner in which the state has responded to protest since 1945. It draws particular attention to the way in which contemporary terrorism (which is considered in chapter 7) has been used as a justification for placing restrictions on the ability to protest and for intrusions into individual privacy.

The State’s Response to Protest, Subversion and Terrorism

The state’s response to the forms of protest that have been discussed in the previous chapters takes two main forms – a physical response delivered by police officers in the vicinity of a protest and the gathering of intelligence on individuals and groups who are likely to engage in activities associated with protest. This chapter initially focuses on the physical response to various forms of protest and then considers how and by whom intelligence is gathered.

Terrorism in the UK Within a Global Context

It has been argued that ‘terrorism and protest are the antithesis of each other…Terrorism is about intimidating people and undermining the democratic process; protest is part of that process’ (Fenwick, 2007: 671). However, terrorism has formed an important mechanism in the UK through which groups have sought to attain political objectives and thus constitutes an important area of study in connection with contemporary politics conducted outside the arena of conventional political activity.

Policing Global Protest and Terrorism

Globalisation has been defined as ‘a process (or set of processes) characterised by an extension of social, political and economic activities across borders, alongside an intensification and speeding up of interconnectiveness with significant consequences for law enforcement and security’ (Laverick, 2016: 4). This chapter seeks to examine the impact of globalisation on the organisation of and the response to protest and terrorism.