Golden Ages, Red Herrings and Post-Keynesian Policing - Understanding the Role of Police Culture in the Police Professionalism Debate

This paper seeks to further our understanding of the role played by police culture in debates surrounding police professionalization. It begins with a brief overview of the ‘Golden Age’ of policing which has become the benchmark for public satisfaction against which subsequent eras of British polici...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Tom Cockcroft
Format: Article
Language:Danish
Published: Scandinavian University Press 2015-01-01
Series:Nordisk Politiforskning
Online Access:https://www.idunn.no/nordisk_politiforskning/2015/02/golden_ages_red_herrings_and_post-keynesian_policing_-_und
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849724101425364992
author Tom Cockcroft
author_facet Tom Cockcroft
author_sort Tom Cockcroft
collection DOAJ
description This paper seeks to further our understanding of the role played by police culture in debates surrounding police professionalization. It begins with a brief overview of the ‘Golden Age’ of policing which has become the benchmark for public satisfaction against which subsequent eras of British policing are now judged. This is followed by an introduction to the concepts of police professionalism and police culture and an overview of some existing literature that highlights the cultural challenges of police ‘professionalization’. The paper then seeks to position police professionalization agendas as a direct result of social change and the emergence of post-Keynesian policing. This leads into an exploration on how professionalization agendas (in their broadest sense) can be viewed as an attempt to impose, rather than remove, control from practitioners. Finally, the paper develops two related themes. First, that the discretion which is synonymous with the police role makes the imposition of greater occupational control problematic and, second, that being seen to control occupational culture is increasingly viewed as a measure of effective police leadership.
format Article
id doaj-art-c383fbdc09334e569cd4609c3d7ebb27
institution DOAJ
issn 1894-8693
language Danish
publishDate 2015-01-01
publisher Scandinavian University Press
record_format Article
series Nordisk Politiforskning
spelling doaj-art-c383fbdc09334e569cd4609c3d7ebb272025-08-20T03:10:50ZdanScandinavian University PressNordisk Politiforskning1894-86932015-01-01218319618948693Golden Ages, Red Herrings and Post-Keynesian Policing - Understanding the Role of Police Culture in the Police Professionalism DebateTom CockcroftThis paper seeks to further our understanding of the role played by police culture in debates surrounding police professionalization. It begins with a brief overview of the ‘Golden Age’ of policing which has become the benchmark for public satisfaction against which subsequent eras of British policing are now judged. This is followed by an introduction to the concepts of police professionalism and police culture and an overview of some existing literature that highlights the cultural challenges of police ‘professionalization’. The paper then seeks to position police professionalization agendas as a direct result of social change and the emergence of post-Keynesian policing. This leads into an exploration on how professionalization agendas (in their broadest sense) can be viewed as an attempt to impose, rather than remove, control from practitioners. Finally, the paper develops two related themes. First, that the discretion which is synonymous with the police role makes the imposition of greater occupational control problematic and, second, that being seen to control occupational culture is increasingly viewed as a measure of effective police leadership.https://www.idunn.no/nordisk_politiforskning/2015/02/golden_ages_red_herrings_and_post-keynesian_policing_-_und
spellingShingle Tom Cockcroft
Golden Ages, Red Herrings and Post-Keynesian Policing - Understanding the Role of Police Culture in the Police Professionalism Debate
Nordisk Politiforskning
title Golden Ages, Red Herrings and Post-Keynesian Policing - Understanding the Role of Police Culture in the Police Professionalism Debate
title_full Golden Ages, Red Herrings and Post-Keynesian Policing - Understanding the Role of Police Culture in the Police Professionalism Debate
title_fullStr Golden Ages, Red Herrings and Post-Keynesian Policing - Understanding the Role of Police Culture in the Police Professionalism Debate
title_full_unstemmed Golden Ages, Red Herrings and Post-Keynesian Policing - Understanding the Role of Police Culture in the Police Professionalism Debate
title_short Golden Ages, Red Herrings and Post-Keynesian Policing - Understanding the Role of Police Culture in the Police Professionalism Debate
title_sort golden ages red herrings and post keynesian policing understanding the role of police culture in the police professionalism debate
url https://www.idunn.no/nordisk_politiforskning/2015/02/golden_ages_red_herrings_and_post-keynesian_policing_-_und
work_keys_str_mv AT tomcockcroft goldenagesredherringsandpostkeynesianpolicingunderstandingtheroleofpolicecultureinthepoliceprofessionalismdebate