Introduction: a 'transformative moment in policing'.

Terpstra, Jan; Fyfe, Nicholas R.

Abstract

There is a long tradition of claims regarding the transformation of policing and of radical change in systems of crime control. While the authors do not want to fall into the trap of overexaggerating the degree of change, the reforms to the structure and organization of public police institutions discussed in the further chapters of this book clearly demonstrate significant attempts by government at large-scale and comprehensive police reform. Furthermore, while there are some important similarities and degrees of convergence in the types of reform being implemented in many of the countries examined in this book, there are also important differences and divergences that need to be recognized. The question mark that appears in the title of this volume is quite deliberate: not all police forces are being centralized and even for those that are, the nature, meaning and processes of centralization may be experienced very differently across jurisdictions. The caveats that are normally applied in discussions of globalization in relation to policing are just as relevant to considerations of centralization, namely that "police policies, legal systems, organizations and cultures continue to be national entities, bound to national traditions and circumstances" (Verhage et al., 2010: 9). In addition, while some of the chapters in this book do illustrate a degree of at least 'lesson learning' if not 'policy transfer' between particular countries, it is important to acknowledge that the reform of policing, like policy making more generally, rarely follows the neat logical stages of a rational choice model, but is messy, contingent, and often the product of compromises and political expediency (Newburn & Sparks, 2004a: 12). This book, then, is very much a starting point in understanding and thinking about the nature of contemporary police reform in northern and western Europe and lays the foundations for future comparative analysis. It provides a snap shot of a remarkably dynamic policing landscape in which lots of questions remain to be answered regarding the implementation, impact and implications of reform and, in particular, whether these changes achieve their intended goals.

Citation

TERPSTRA, J. and FYFE, N.R. 2013. Introduction: a 'transformative moment in policing'. In Fyfe, N.R., Terpstra, J. and Tops, P. (eds.) Centralizing forces? Comparative perspectives on contemporary police reform in northern and western Europe. The Hague: Eleven International Publishing [online], chapter 1, pages 1-22. Available from: https://www.boomdenhaag.nl/en/webshop/centralizing-forces

• Online Publication Date: Jul 2, 2013
• Publication Date: Jul 31, 2013
• Deposit Date: May 16, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: May 16, 2023
• Publisher: Eleven International Publishing
• Pages: 1-22
• Book Title: Centralizing forces? Comparative perspectives on contemporary police reform in northern and western Europe.
• Chapter Number: Chapter 1
• ISBN: 9789462360594
• Keywords: Police organizations; Europe; Reforms; Police reform; Governments; Citizens
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/1965767
• Publisher URL: https://www.boomdenhaag.nl/en/webshop/centralizing-force
• Related Public URLs: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/1254814 (The book in which this has been published); https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/1965748 (Individual chapter by Nicholas R. Fyfe and Kenneth B. Scott)