Review: Policing and the Power of Persuasion: The Changing Role of the Association of Chief Police Officers
| Date | 01 January 2001 |
| Published date | 01 January 2001 |
| Author | Phil Clements |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X0107400312 |
| Subject Matter | Review |
author gives fundamentally important advice, which I could not help
but reflect upon. He has instilled greater fear in me but counters this by
making me feel more confident in handling violent situations. I found
the self-defence techniques particularly valuable.
On a more critical note, from my perspective, the author seems
impractical in places. This is mostly evident in relation to date rape. For
example, the reader is told to communicate limits clearly and to refuse
an offer of transportation to and from the date. I feel that such advice
should be followed as soon as one is made to feel uncomfortable, rather
than as a general measure in all dates. I also felt disconcerted by what
I perceived to be an exaggerated idea that wearing anything other than
baggy clothes and flat shoes would increase my likelihood of being
attacked.
Such a book, in modem-day society, has unfortunately become a
necessity, not a choice. Chetna Bhatt LLB
Law Student
POLICING AND THE POWER OF PERSUASION:
THE CHANGING ROLE OF THE ASSOCIATION
OF CHIEF POLICE OFFICERS
S. Savage, S. Charman and S. Cope, London: Blackstone Press, 2000
£39.99 ISBN
1-84174-247-3
The point of departure for this illuminating analysis of the Association
of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) is that 'ACPO seems to be a some-
what enigmatic organisation which seems to be an extremely important
part of the British policing scene
...
but in a way and to an extent that
is not clear'. In groundbreaking research the authors gained access for
an empirical study into an organisation which itself 'holds sway' over
what is researched in policing. The granting of access to interview
ACPO members represented a bold step on the part of those inter-
viewed. In order properly to examine both the historical and present
perspectives, two sample groups were used. These groups comprised
both former and potential ACPO Presidents, and a sample of ACPO
members stratified on the basis of rank, age and gender.
The central hypothesis that is expounded in the book is that ACPO
had become a more corporate, strategic and effective body both in
shaping policy at force level (there are 43 forces in England and Wales)
and in campaigning on the national scene in wider criminal justice
policy and policing nationally.
The introduction to the book offers a coherent and credible account
of the research methodology adopted. The opening chapter on police
governance and policy making is thorough and comprehensively refer-
enced, and will be heavygoing for the lay reader. Following on from
this, however, the reading becomes easier as the authors introduce
ACPO as an organisation and offer interview evidence of both its
changing role and the process of becoming an ACPO member. An
important point made in support of a credible qualitative methodology
274 The Police Journal, Volume 74 (2001)
To continue reading
Request your trial