Griffith University Police, Courts and Corrections Course Notes

Week 4 Overview: Police Roles and Accountability

  • Topics: Police functions, accountability, culture, and corruption. Examines police duties, scrutiny of actions, internal dynamics, and integrity challenges within a democratic society.

Police Roles and Functions

  • Public Policing (e.g., QPS): Government-funded, vested with state-sanctioned powers (e.g., arrest, use of force).

  • Private Policing: Security services hired by individuals/corporations, with more limited legal authority, focused on loss prevention and property protection.

  • Gatekeepers of criminal justice: Police act as the initial point of contact, with discretionary powers to stop, search, arrest, or charge, significantly influencing entry into the system.

  • Responsibilities:

    • Preserving peace

    • Preventing crime

    • Upholding law

    • Justice administration

Police Duties

  • Crime scene management: Securing, processing, and preserving evidence.

  • Maintaining public order: Responding to disturbances, managing crowds during events/protests.

  • Enforcing laws: Conducting arrests, issuing citations, investigating criminal activity.

  • Assisting victims: Providing immediate support, linking to services, and protecting rights.

Styles of Policing

  • Traditional Policing:

    • Emphasis on rapid response, crime control, military-style engagement.

    • Characterized by routine patrols, emergency calls for service, and a focus on serious crime.

  • Community Policing:

    • Focus on community collaboration, conflict resolution, and problem-solving.

    • Often involves neighborhood watch, community meetings, and officers assigned to specific geographic areas.

  • Problem-Oriented Policing:

    • Analyzes crime causes for effective strategy development, utilizing the SARA model (Scanning, Analysis, Response, Assessment).

    • Addresses systemic issues beyond individual incidents.

  • Intelligence-Led Policing:

    • Reduces crime by disrupting offender activities, focusing on professional criminals and organized crime groups.

    • Relies on data collection, analysis, and strategic deployment of resources (e.g., surveillance, informants, analytical tools).

Police Powers and Corruption

  • Authority: Police possess powers to stop, search, arrest, and investigate, granted by legislation (e.g., Police Powers and Responsibilities Act) and subject to legal limits (reasonable suspicion/probable cause).

  • Abuse of Powers: Includes harassment and procedural violations, using legitimate authority for illegitimate purposes (e.g., excessive force, improper procedures).

  • Corruption: Misuse of power for personal gain (e.g., bribery, extortion, protecting criminal enterprises).

  • Misconduct: Broader term for inappropriate behaviors violating departmental rules/ethics, not necessarily for personal gain (e.g., negligence, insubordination, excessive use of force).

Police Culture

  • Characteristics: High cohesiveness, isolation, suspicion towards the public, and unwritten codes (e.g., 'blue wall of silence' – reluctance to report fellow officers' misconduct).

Police Accountability

  • Accountability: Officers are accountable for conduct, crime rates, public satisfaction, and professional standards. Ensures legal operation, effective public service, and maintained public trust through internal adherence to policies and external responsiveness.

  • Mechanisms:

    • Internal investigations by ethical standards command/internal affairs units.

    • Oversight bodies: Independent external agencies (e.g., Crime and Corruption Commission, Ombudsman).

    • Community scrutiny: Public forums, media reporting, civil society organizations, and academic research.