Social Development and Police Reform: Some Reflections on the Concept and Purpose of Policing and the Implications for Reform in the UK and USA

Abstract

The increase in calls for police reform following the death of George Floyd has led to renewed debate about social inequality and the role of policing in society. Modern bureaucratic police systems emerged from locally administered structures and Anglo-American policing models continue to be aligned, to varying degrees, with the political, socio-cultural, legal, and ideological aspects of contemporary liberal democratic society with its emphasis on democratic localism and decentralised accountability. However, at a time when society is reimagining itself and technology, government, and nations are radically re-shaping themselves, a critical question is whether there is a sufficiently common philosophical and conceptual understanding of policing to support its development rather than just a common understanding of police functions. This is profoundly important when considering the current calls for reform of policing in the USA and other western democratic states. The article argues that there is an urgent need to reconsider how we conceptualize policing and its relationship with social development.

The Social and Humanitarian Function of Law Enforcement Agencies under Martial Law

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#NoJusticeNoSleep: Critical intersections of race-ethnicity, income, education, and social determinants in sleep health disparities

“…Echoing the chant of many scholars, it is important to recognize that while we continue to navigate the collective trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic and its ripple effects, pockets of our society continue to battle two pandemics: COVID-19 and racism. 1 The social justice movements that defined the summer of 2020, following the murder of George Floyd, led to waves of reactions across various domains of society: administrative leaders of colleges and universities issued statements filled with promises to infuse an anti-racist agenda at their institutions 2 ; businesses issued public statements in support of social justice movements, such as #BlackLivesMatter 3 , 4 ; law enforcement departments were challenged to address the issue of police brutality 5 6 ; and political leaders deliberated policy reform extensively in education, income, and health. Meanwhile, academics engaged in both research and social media efforts to address structural inequalities in funding opportunities, hiring practices, and curriculum development.…”