Public management and policing: a dialectical inquiry

Abstract

The study of policing offers rich opportunities to test and refine the boundaries of key concepts and theories of public management, yet it is neglected in public management discourse. In this essay, we strike up a conversation between public management and policing studies, arguing that, through this dialectical inquiry, concepts and theories in both fields can be reviewed and improved. We explore areas with particular potential for cross-fertilization: basic rationales used in public management; the saliency of state authority and legitimacy in policing; questions of public value creation (or destruction); and dilemmas of pursuing equity.