Procedural justice and frontline policing: the effects of the police complaints system
| Pages | 170-181 |
| Published date | 08 August 2016 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JFP-11-2015-0051 |
| Date | 08 August 2016 |
| Author | Sally Galovic,Philip Birch,Margaret H. Vickers,Michael Kennedy |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Criminology & forensic psychology,Forensic practice |
Procedural justice and frontline policing:
the effects of the police complaints system
Sally Galovic, Philip Birch, Margaret H. Vickers and Michael Kennedy
Sally Galovic is a Research
Assistant at the School of
Business, University of Western
Sydney, Penrith, Australia.
Philip Birch is based at the
Department of Policing,
Criminal and Community
Justice, School of Social
Sciences and Psychology,
University of Western Sydney,
Penrith, Australia.
Margaret H. Vickers is a
Professor of Business at the
School of Business,
University of Western Sydney,
Penrith, Australia.
Michael Kennedy is a Professor
of Policing and International
Programs Manager at the
University of Western Sydney
College, University of Western
Sydney, Penrith, Australia.
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to present results from a qualitative study exploring the complaints
system within New South Wales Police Force in Australia. The stories shared illustrate the impact of the
complaints system on officers currently serving in this force. The study reveals how the complaints system
impacts on both the working conditionsand workplace environment of police officers, as well as impacting on
the professional relationships amongst each other.
Design/methodology/approach –The study is qualitative in design, in which in-depth interviews were
conducted with a sample of 14 rank and file police officers. The qualitative analysis draws upon a thematic
approach and a direct reference to police officer comments and perspectives are illustrated and used to
inform the framework of the discussion and implications for further research in this area.
Findings –The findings yield three central themes –“police perceptions of accountability”;“the complaints
tool –a question of intra institutional justice”; and “performance impact”. These are discussed in direct
relation to what police officers revealed about their experiences and thoughts on the current complaints
process in New South Wales.
Practical implications –To review thecomplaints process in order to developa more transparent process;
to recognisethe critiques of the complaintsprocess, both by the generalpublic and police officers, as valuable
informationto be used to inform improvingthe process; to consider restorativejustice practices employed by
other police forces as a means of finalising some complaint processes; to develop a more swift complaints
process with more timelyconclusions in order to minimise long-termissues such as sustained sick leave.
Originality/value –This paper examines the link between accountability and performance, and the
unintended consequences the complaints process has on police officers at work. This examination is
conducted by drawing on current rank and file police officers lived experiences.
Keywords Procedural justice, Accountability, Police performance, Police legitimacy, Policing duality,
Political policing
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
This paper is based on an explorative qualitative study examining the complaints system within
New South Wales Police Force (NSWPF), Australia, where the experiences from a sample of 14
NSWPF employees as a result of the current complaints system in operation are presented.
Issues that have been described include: impacts on workplace interpersonal relations with
colleagues and superiors; mistrust arising around both the complaints system and the
organisation as a whole; and a reported lack of willingness on the part of participating staff to
communicate and participate in associated conflict or grievance-resolution procedures.
This paper examines the link between accountability and performance, and the unintended
consequences of the accountability/complaints process has on the police officers at work,
their attitude towards policing and the impact this may have on service delivery, as it is termed in
Received 19 November 2015
Revised 13 January 2016
15 January 2016
Accepted 15 January 2016
PAGE170
j
JOURNAL OF FORENSIC PRACTICE
j
VOL. 18 NO. 3 2016, pp. 170-181, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 2050-8794 DOI 10.1108/JFP-11-2015-0051
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