Community Policing and the Limits of the Bureaucratic State

Abstract

This paper explores contemporary challenges that community policing practices pose to unified understandings of sovereignty that traditionally underpin the delivery of state-centred policing in developed states. Fleming (2009) suggests that community policing is about partnerships, consultation and building trust in communities. Through a case study of the development of a local security network in an inner suburb of Melbourne (Victoria, Australia), I explore how state police work with other community agencies. Interviews with police and service providers identified past experience of policing in remote or international contexts, and an appreciation of community development principles, as factors that contribute to effective community policing. I discuss these claims, drawing on international policing literature that critically evaluates capacity building in a range of so called 'fragile' states, arguing that greater consideration of policing in differently organised states could reshape our understanding and expectations of community policing at home.

‘Without uniform I am a community member, uncle, brother, granddad’: Community policing in Australia’s Torres Strait Region

“…Although community policing across Australia has tended to 'wax and wane' (Bull, 2015), policing in the TSR has a strong and consistent community focus. In general, policing in the TSR tends to focus on building positive, trusting and lasting relationships between police and community members -core features of community policing (Bull, 2015).…”

“…Although community policing across Australia has tended to 'wax and wane' (Bull, 2015), policing in the TSR has a strong and consistent community focus. In general, policing in the TSR tends to focus on building positive, trusting and lasting relationships between police and community members -core features of community policing (Bull, 2015). This provides a contrast to recent accounts of police working in Queensland's other remote Indigenous communities, where many felt like unwelcome strangers who were 'at best .…”

“…Over recent decades, Australian police have developed several strategies aimed at improving police-Indigenous relationships. This has typically involved embracing community policing approaches, which focus on developing trust and consultative partnerships between police and communities (Bull, 2015;Putt, 2010) and are related to the notion of 'policing by consent' -a longheld ideology of Anglo-American policing (Loader, 2016). Community policing recognises expertise held beyond the 'centralised bureaucratic command structure' of the police, instead 'encouraging partnerships between the police and communities in a collaborative effort to solve problems linked to crime and disorder' (Bull, 2015: 163).…”

“…In response, Australian police have been strongly encouraged to adopt community policing approaches, which value and support community-police partnerships and 'policing by consent' (Fitzgerald Inquiry, 1989;Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, 1991). Nevertheless, commitments to community policing vary (Bull, 2015), and Indigenous Australians' interactions with the criminal justice system, including experiences of police and policing, likely vary across different places and socio-cultural groupings. This potential variation tends to be overlooked in existing research, which frequently homogenises Indigenous Australians' experiences of crime and policing.…”

Promoting trust and police legitimacy in African Australian communities: A critical reflection on community engagement strategies and practical recommendations for police

“…Some studies report a positive effect of community engagement on trust and legitimacy (Kerley and Benson, 2000; Peyton et al, 2019; Skogan et al, 2004; Tuffin et al, 2006), whereas others report no effect (Kahn et al, 2019; Weisburd et al, 2021). Moreover, a ‘one-size fits all’ mentality that overlooks the distinct sociocultural concerns of various marginalised groups often underpins community policing and engagement initiatives (Bull, 2015; Dwyer, 2011; Egan-Vine et al, 2022; Harvey et al, 2010; Julian et al, 2021; Miles-Johnson, 2020; Putt, 2010). Despite these issues, community engagement remains the preferred approach by police looking to improve their relations with CALD communities.…”