Community engagement
Policing practice: research evidence
Community engagement is a difficult concept to quantify and measure. For this reason there are few evaluation studies that have been carried out. However, there is a strong body of evidence highlighting the weaknesses of traditional forms of community engagement, for example, the Police Community Consultative Group. These groups, which still exist in various forms in some areas, often rely solely on public meetings to involve the community. There are a number of problems with this approach. First, the people who go to public meetings tend to be unrepresentative of the community. Second, the process is not suitable for consulting on strategic issues. Most research studies suggests that police forces and authorities should move away from this type of approach and use a wider range of community engagement models.
The Home Office have published several research studies on consultation and community engagement, some of which are outlined below.
Meeting the needs of local communities
A 1996 study recommended that police forces and authorities tailor a 'consultation and feedback package' to meet the needs of local areas:
- Elliott, R. and Nicholls, J. (1996) It's good to talk: lessons in public consultation and feedback. Police Research Series Paper 22. ( http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/prspubs1.html)
A study of attempts to engage so-called 'hard-to-reach' groups also recommended that forces and authorities adopt more flexible localised consultation frameworks, with annual systematic reviews of effectiveness. This study also emphasised the potential for multi-agency working as a way of using resources more effectively:
- Jones, T. and Newburn, T. (2001) Widening access: improving police relations with hard to reach groups - Police Research Series Paper 138. ( http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/policerspubs1.html)
The same authors also reported on consultation by Crime and Disorder Partnerships, recommending that the aims of consultation be made clearer by agencies, greater multi-agency working and planning, and using multiple engagement methods to suit different purposes:
- Newburn, T. and Jones, T. (2002) Consultation by Crime and Disorder Partnerships - Police Research Series Paper 148. (http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/policerspubs1.html)
Reviewing strategies
The most recent Home Office examination of community engagement by police authorities and forces in England and Wales was published in 2003. This project revealed progress had been made since the previous research was published, but that this had been variable both between and within force areas. This project also recommended that police authorities regularly review their engagement strategies and use a variety of methods tailored to local needs.
- Myhill, A., Yarrow, S., Dalgleish, D. and Docking, M. (2003) The role of police authorities in public engagement - Home Office Online report 37/03.
( http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/onlinepubs1.html) - Docking, M. (2003) Public perceptions of police accountability and decision making - Home Office Online report 38/03. ( http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/onlinepubs1.html).
The role of police authorities
Police authorities are keen to embrace the new focus on community engagement. The Association of Police Authorities recently published a guide to involving communities in police learning and development:
www.apa.police.uk/APA/Publications/Involving+Communities.htm
www.northwestern.edu/ipr/publications/policing.html
Also see the evaluating your project section of this Guide.
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