Police Accountability in Scotland: [2] ‘New’ Accountabilities
| Author | Daniel Donnelly,Kenneth B. Scott |
| Published date | 01 March 2002 |
| Date | 01 March 2002 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X0207500106 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
DANIEL DONNELLY, BA,
MBA
Research Associate in Police Studies
DR KENNETH B. SCOTT
Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences,
School
of
Social Studies, Bell College, Hamilton
POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY
IN SCOTLAND:
[2] 'NEW' ACCOUNTABILITIES*
This secondarticle on police accountability
focuses
on aspects such as
best
value;
performance management and targeting; HMCIC's role;
Accounts
Commission and Audit Scotland;
common
services and
multi-tiered policing;
community
and socialinclusion partnerships; and
complaints against the police.The conclusion is drawn that thesenew
accountabilities throw into question traditional views on the constitu-
tionalposition and future
management
of policing in Scotland.
Introduction
Our previous article focused on the changes to the 'tripartite system'
of police accountability in Scotland. The present article seeks to
review newer and emerging forms of police accountability within the
Scottish context, particularly those associated with performance man-
agement and measurement. We argue that recent legislation and the
introduction of the Scottish Parliament and Executive have altered and
extended the system of police accountability well beyond the tradi-
tional tripartite model and consider the impact that this has had on
Scottish policing.
The concept of police accountability has gone through a period of
change as a result of central government's approach in the 1980s and
90s to the public sector. Power and control from the centre was
supposedly reduced in favour of an upsurge in citizenship, signalled
by the arrival of the Citizen's Charter and Justice Charter. Public
organisations were also constantly reminded that, 'for much of their
history public sector services were provided substantially in ignorance
of what their recipients thought about them, both in terms of standards
and patterns of provision' (Eliassen &Kooiman, 1993: 278-9). The
emphasis was firmly on 'value for money' and on 'efficiency and
effectiveness'. In particular policing was singled out since the public
receive this unique service whether they wish it or not (Ackroyd, 1995:
30). As a result the police services have experienced significant change
since the early 1980s and these changes have had a major impact on
national and local policing policies. The pressure for change has come
mainly from central government, although initiatives have been forth-
coming from the police themselves. The overall rationale has been
56 The Police Journal, Volume 75 (2002)
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