This module introduces students to the core principles and values that guide contemporary policing practice. In particular it subjects to critical scrutiny the assertions of the democratic nature of policing with specific focus on the arrangements that seek to ensure the accountability of policing. Alongside these discussions, the module will consider the impact of human rights norms on contemporary policing practices.
The module will begin with documenting the historical development of contemporary policing practices and arrangements. In doing so students will be encouraged to consider the shifting model of policing and the social and political factors that have shaped these developments. The module will then be framed around a series of key issues: legitimacy/public opinion; reasonable force; function; and governance. The module will comprise of contemporary issues: policing and minority ethnic communities; public confidence and policing; counter terrorism policing; deaths in police custody; private forms of policing.
Finally, the module will consider policing models comparatively. Moreover, students will be introduced to issues in transitional policing and how supra national forms of policing have evolved to meet the challenges of transnational crime.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
Demonstrate a critical awareness of the relationship between policing, the media and public perceptions of crime
Identify the principles and values embedded within policing models and the social, political and economic forces that impact policing practices
Critically analyse the rhetoric and reality of policing practice and implementation.
Apply notions of power, democracy, legitimacy, and social justice across a range of contemporary policing issues
Discuss key trends in contemporary policing and identify the similarities and differences evident within domestic and international policing systems
Critically analyse the impact of policing practice in terms of social class, gender and ethnicity