Shannon, I orcid.org/0000-0003-2530-4054 (2021) Democratic oversight and political direction of chief police officers in England and Wales: Implications for police legitimacy. Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, 15 (2). pp. 912-926. ISSN 1752-4512
Abstract
This article uses data from recent interviews with chief police officers in England and Wales to assess the connections between how chief police officers are overseen and given political direction and police legitimacy. The research found that governance changes started in 2011, particularly the election of police and crime commissioners, led to chief officers feeling more anxious, and the reforms reduced their operational independence. This may result in chief officers being less able to resist demands to encroach on civil liberties, prioritize the needs of the powerful over the marginalized, or to challenge policies that are likely to be ineffective or which neglect many peoples’ priorities. This endangers effective police leadership and legitimacy. Suggestions are made for consideration by policy makers, practitioners, and researchers to enhance police governance, leadership, and legitimacy. It is contended that the findings have implications for governance, leadership, and legitimacy in other countries and sectors.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press.This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creative-commons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Education, Social Sciences and Law (Leeds) > School of Law (Leeds) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) ES/T006641/1 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 26 Oct 2020 13:28 |
Last Modified: | 25 Jun 2023 22:28 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Oxford University Press |
Identification Number: | 10.1093/police/paaa088 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:167123 |