Rethinking police complaints
Procedures for dealing with complaints against the police have been at the centre of police reform for the last half-century. This paper departs from the traditional who investigates' approach and managerial orthodoxy to consider the primary functions of the complaints process. Four causes of c...
Main Author: | |
---|---|
Format: | Electronic/Print Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
2004
|
In: |
The British journal of criminology
Year: 2004, Volume: 44, Issue: 1, Pages: 15-33 |
Online Access: |
Volltext (doi) |
Journals Online & Print: | |
Availability in Tübingen: | Present in Tübingen. IFK: In: Z 7 |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
Keywords: |
Summary: | Procedures for dealing with complaints against the police have been at the centre of police reform for the last half-century. This paper departs from the traditional who investigates' approach and managerial orthodoxy to consider the primary functions of the complaints process. Four causes of complaint are identified - unprofessional behaviour, criminal conduct, tortious action and unacceptable policy - and four functions are considered - managerial, liability, restorative and accountability. It is concluded that in order to effectively and efficiently deal with the various causes of complaint, a two-tier system is required to deal with complaints that allege unprofessional behaviour and criminal conduct, and a third, separate tier, is necessary to consider complaints regarding unacceptable police policy |
---|---|
ISSN: | 0007-0955 |
DOI: | 10.1093/bjc/44.1.15 |