Policing “Landscapes” for the Rule of Law and Public Protection: the State of Evidence on Organisational Policies, Structures, and Human Resources

Abstract

Research QuestionWhat evidence is, or is not, available on organisational policies, structures, and practices in national policing institutional landscapes that enable a police service to promote the rule of law and protect the population from crime, disorder, and violations of human rights?DataQualitative and quantitative research on police organisational policies, structures, and practices in areas such as human resources and recruiting, legal authorities, and reporting lines to governance.MethodsA review of the evidence in landscapes associated with higher or lower levels of indications of a rule of law and protection from harm across a range of high-, medium-, and low-income countries and across different regions. The paper seeks to assess the strengths, limitations, and gaps in the evidence and data for understanding this association.FindingsThe evidence for institutions promoting better policing at the level of nation-states is largely qualitative or historical. Useful frameworks for different models of police landscapes have been developed, with some tentative conclusions observed from within-country studies. These include the negative impact on the rule of law of “militarizing” civilian police forces, the positive impact of checks and balances of external auditing by independent agencies, and the promising effects of well-implemented policies for community policing and body-worn video cameras. Yet all institutional landscapes are embedded in unique cultural traditions, and no one framework for police institutions is likely to work in most countries.ConclusionResearch advances over the past half-century have substantially improved scientific understanding of police institutions. Nations investing in those institutions have a direct stake in advancing that knowledge as part and parcel of an effective strategy for promoting police protection of the public, as well as its rule of law.