Organisations of Policing

Defining Policing Organisations

  • Structured bodies empowered by the state.

  • Enforce laws, maintain order, and protect citizens.

  • Core functions: Crime prevention, investigation, public safety, and social order.

Hierarchy and Decision-Making

  • Centralised Policing: Single authority controls strategies and directives.

  • Decentralised Policing: Authority distributed across local entities.

  • Hybrid Model: Used in Australia, blending both centralised and decentralised elements.

  • Local Level: Enforce local laws and by-laws.

  • State Level: Responsible for day-to-day policing activities.

  • Federal Level: AFP handles national security and transnational crime.

Australian Police Agencies

  • Local Government/Council: Enforce local by-laws.

  • State and Territory: Manage and enforce laws regarding community safety.

    • Examples: Queensland Police Service, New South Wales Police Force, Victoria Police, etc.

  • Australian Federal Police: Responsible for national interest and crimes against the Commonwealth.

    • Examples: Hate crime, cyber crime, drug crime, terrorism, financial crimes.

Core Functions

  • Crime Prevention: Proactive strategies to deter crime.

  • Law Enforcement: Investigating crimes and apprehending suspects.

  • Public Order Maintenance: Managing crowds and resolving disputes.

  • Community Assistance: Providing support and resources to the community.

Specialised Functions

  • Tactical Response: Handling high-risk situations.

  • Cybercrime Units: Investigating computer-related crimes.

  • Counter-Terrorism Teams: Preventing and responding to terrorist threats.

Technological Integration

  • Data Analytics: Identifying crime patterns and predicting hotspots.

  • Body-Worn Cameras: Recording interactions for transparency.

  • Surveillance Technology: Monitoring public spaces.

  • Communication Systems: Advanced systems for real-time information sharing.

Accountability and Oversight

  • Ensuring ethical and lawful police conduct.

  • Internal Mechanisms: Supervision, reporting procedures, internal investigations.

  • External Oversight: Judiciary, independent statutory bodies, civilian review bodies, ombudsman, human rights commissions.

Transparency and Integrity

  • Transparency: Openness and accessibility of police operations.

  • Integrity: Adherence to ethical and legal standards.

Police Corruption: The Fitzgerald Inquiry

  • Inquiry into police corruption involving illegal gambling and sex work in 1987.

  • Uncovered systemic political corruption and abuse of power.

Understanding Police Culture

  • Normative organisational principles that inform how officers perceive and act.

  • Linked to institutional protectionism, racism, and sexism.

  • Us vs Them mentality.

Resistance to Accountability

  • 2022 Commission of Inquiry revealed sexism, racism, and misogyny within QPS.

  • 2024 QHRC review found senior leaders most resistant to cultural reform.

Deaths in custody and systemic discrimination

  • Cameron Doomadgee: Indigenous Australian who died following police arrest, leading to civil unrest.

Challenging Police Culture

  • Diversify police personnel.

  • Increased empathy and diversity awareness training.

  • Improved de-escalation training.

  • Shift to a more community-oriented structure.

Conclusions

  • Accountability and oversight are essential.

  • Police culture can reinforce resistance to change.

  • Meaningful change requires diverse recruitment, empathy training, and community-oriented models.