NCJ Number
139353
Date Published
1991
Length
393 pages
Annotation
Based on interviews with all 43 chief constables in England and Wales, this book examines their personal characteristics, police careers, policing philosophies, management strategies and styles, accountability, relationships with governmental bodies, and perspectives on social and political issues.
Abstract
The book first discusses the formal constitutional and legal powers of the office of chief constable and how these have evolved over time, along with the changing social status of those who hold the office. Part II analyzes the social characteristics of contemporary chief constables, including their social origins and the orientations they brought with them into police work. Their careers are charted to show how they worked their way up through the organizational hierarchy. Chief constables' ideologies are probed in Part III. These encompass their conceptions of the police role; their overall philosophies of policing; their analyses of crime and their strategies for addressing it; and their views on the problems of public order, with attention to the miners' strike. Part IV focuses on the current debate on the accountability and control of police forces. Topics include chief constables' views on internal management problems and their own role; controversies about the external governance of police forces; and the chief constable's relationship with local police authorities, central government and the HM Inspectorate, the Association of Chief Police Officers, and the complaints system. Parts V and VI summarize the conclusions of the study and discuss its implications for the future of chief constables. Chapter notes, 17 tables, appended supplementary material, subject index, and 192-item bibliography