What is the role of the police within our society? Why are there tensions between the police and the public? You will reflect on what policing is, and on the social, organisational, legal and ethical frameworks within which it is delivered. You will consider the manner and extent to which policing is delivered outside of conventional organised police bodies; the manner and extent to which police functions can extend far beyond crime, order and public safety; the diverse range of bodies discharging a policing function; the extent to which police officers are able to rely on consent rather than power or authority; the extent to which police officers act beyond the law; and the extent to which the police use their power and resources to advance sectional or partisan interests. In confronting these challenges, you will offer a rounded and critical examination of what is encompassed by police powers and policing as a concept. Your studies will move beyond the traditional orthodox understandings of policing and enable you to subject the police to critical scrutiny from historical, social, political, legal and comparative perspectives.
Lecture/Seminars 16 hours
Workshops 8 hours.
Practical - Individual Presentation (15 minutes plus visual material) . Worth 25% of the total marks for the module.
Written- Extended writing -Research Essay (3,000 words). Worth 75% of the total marks for the module. This Assessment is Pass Compulsory.
Reassessment methods - Single instrument 100% written assessment (4,000 words)
For current reading list see the detailed module information on moodle.
See the library reading list for this module (Canterbury)
On successfully completing the module, students will be able to:
1) Critically apply new insights and advanced knowledge of legal, political, social, historical, and ethical factors that influence the development and delivery of policing practice.
2) Critically assess the role of both formal and informal processes in the governance of the police and in rendering the police accountable for their actions, policies, and performances.
3) Critically evaluate current problems, central tensions, and debates in relation to policing both within the United Kingdom and other comparable jurisdictions.
4) Conduct independent research using interdisciplinary materials in order to develop an informed and sustained argument about policing practice.
5) Synthesise relevant materials and present informed ideas about the role of policing to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
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