Contesting Consultation: The Political Geography of Police-Community Consultation in London (From Geography of Crime, P 282-297, 1989, David J Evans and David T Herbert, eds. -- See NCJ-124763)

• NCJ Number: 124775
• Author(s): N R Fyfe
• Date Published: 1989
• Length: 16 pages
• Sale Source: Routledge
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

The British government policy requiring the police to consult local communities about the policing of their areas focuses on the implementation of the policy in London and concludes that the local form of consultation represents the negotiated outcome of relations between different levels of government.

Abstract

The policy was enacted following the issuance of the Scarman report, which examined the civil disorders in the Brixton section of London in 1981. Scarman concluded that the riots resulted from the hostility of the community toward the police and that a method was needed to provide community input into police policies. Scarman's recommendation was included in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act of 1984. This law requires local police agencies to make arrangements to obtain community views about the policing of their areas. As a result, most police forces are developing some form of police liaison committee structure. These groups provide a forum for the communication of local problems and a mechanism for developing practical solutions, although decisions about priorities, tactics, and staff allocation are still generally determined at police headquarters and at the Home Office. Figures, notes, and 17 references.