Local governance in the new Police Scotland: Renegotiating power, recognition and responsiveness

Abstract

A marked, but by no means universal, trend in Europe over the last decade or so has been the centralization or amalgamation of regional police organizations into larger or single units. Scotland is a case in point, its eight regional services becoming one Police Scotland in April 2013. Although the reform process was relatively consensual, the new organization has been the subject of numerous controversies, some of which reflect an actual or perceived loss of the local in Scottish policing. Drawing on a qualitative study of the emerging local governance arrangements, we explore the negotiated character of large-scale organizational reform, demonstrating that it is best understood as a process not an event. We also argue that appeals to localism are not mere expressions of sentiment and resistance to change. They reflect the particular historical development of policing and public service delivery in Scotland at the level of municipal government, but also strong convictions that policing should be subject to democratic deliberation and should recognize and be responsive to those subject to it – what we argue here are necessary functions of police governance in general.

Near or far away: Local police governance in Ireland

“…At a minimum this implies a lack of clarity as to what is appropriate subject matter for JPCs or potentially that certain chairs are curtailing what can be discussed. Further, this points to the essential issue of escalation, raised elsewhere by Henry et al (2016). Where a discussion does relate to something beyond the scope of this local body, an escalation route is necessary to ensure it is responded to appropriately.…”

“…There are no skills requirements for membership of the JPCs, and there is no induction or training – an issue also highlighted by Henry et al (2016) as key to effective operation. Some members may have experience of working with the police and officials but others may not.…”

“…Henry et al (2016) questioned the relationships these bodies have with the centre, with the community and with local community policing arrangements. There is no clear evidence of how these connections are made in Ireland.…”

Introduction: Local police governance: European perspectives

“…In Scotland, our home jurisdiction, reforms amalgamated regional police services into a single organizational structure. This appeared to depart from policing that, at least rhetorically, had long emphasized the importance of the local and policing that is ‘in touch’ with the public (see Henry, Malik and Aydın-Aitchison, 2019). This general direction of travel was not unique to Scotland, characterizing much, but by no means all, police reform in western and northern Europe in the period of post-2008 economic austerity (see Fyfe et al, 2013).…”

A case for trans-local police governance

“…Being attentive to the security needs of local people is essential (see Jones and Lister and Henry et al, 2019) but, without coordination and oversight, private security contractors, voluntary associations and fragmented police forces are liable to lose sight of the wider political community and serve only the narrow interests of their local customers. In this article, we argue that this plurality risks undermining the more universal goals and ideals of a larger political community and the character of security as a public good.…”