Book Review: Changing Policing: Revolution not Evolution
| Author | Jo Mead |
| Published date | 01 June 2002 |
| Date | 01 June 2002 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/026455050204900222 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
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with first time offenders on a daily basis
and are now part of mainstream services
for young offenders. Notwithstanding this,
this book represents a welcome and
engaging introduction for those who are
becoming involved in restorative justice
interventions, as its influence on crime
control increases. Robin Tuddenham
Strategic Manager, Barking & Dagenham
Youth Offending Team
Changing Policing: Revolution not
Evolution
Michael O’Byrne
Russell House Publishing, 2001;
pp152; £14.95, pbk
ISBN 1-903800-4
I have often wished that probation could
be better understood by others in the
criminal justice system, and I’m sure
many in the police feel the same way
about their profession. In response to
this, the former Chief Constable of
Bedfordshire, Michael O’Byrne, has
produced a fascinating book in ‘Changing
Policing’. His viewpoint is refreshing and
his obvious love of the service is tem-
pered throughout with criticism and a plea
for reform. I found it a useful guide to the
current issues facing the police service.
‘Changing Policing’ is a quick read,
and Michael O’Byrne acknowledges from
the start that the work has a journalistic
style. This is not to say that it is not full
of thought-provoking comments, ideas
and criticisms. Read it with an open mind,
for it is written by a man whose education
and career have all been shaped by his
experiences as a police officer. This is
both the book’s weakness and, ultimately,
its strength. It is not an objective
academic text, but it does not set out to
be. O’Byrne is clear in his support for the
reform agenda facing the police service,
and about the need for it to recover from
the last thirty years of public exposure to
criticism from the courts, media,
politicians, victim groups and the general
public. There is a sense of urgency about
this writing, and it is clear that he has held
critical views about areas such as
management, recruitment, training and the
Police Federation for some considerable
time. In this respect the book lends itself
to parallels with other criminal justice
agencies, including probation, which are
trying to effect positive change.
Clearly the report into the death of
Stephen Lawrence has led the way for
many police areas to address
institutionalised racism. They face
similar problems to the National
Probation Service in retaining minority
ethnic staff, and O’Byrne is aware that a
less diverse public sector organisation
would be hard to find. Reforms of the
scale he advocates would seem to require
the internal acceptance of political views
other than the prevailing conservatism,
but O’Byrne suggests this is not likely to
occur, and that the bad points of ‘the
culture’ will have to change despite this.
The overwhelming message of the
book is that radical change is required to
push forward positive practices. The
police are not alone in facing this change
agenda. Those who will find this book
more than simply interesting are likely to
include probation staff involved in close
police liaison through Crime and Disorder
partnerships and MAPPPs, trainee
probation officers seeking a ‘real voice’
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