The Management of Scottish Police Forces: A Case for Research
| Author | Roy Wilkie,Stephen Bennett |
| Published date | 01 July 1981 |
| Date | 01 July 1981 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X8105400311 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
STEPHEN BENNETT
Lecturer
ROY
WILKIE
Professor. University
of
Strathclyde, Glasgow.
THE
MANAGEMENT
OF
SCOTTISH POLICE FORCES: A
CASE FOR RESEARCH
Summary
The authors contend that the social, technological, organizational
and other changes which have occurred recently make imperative a
major research effort into the management of police forces.
They report the findings of a desk diary exercise completed by 62
Scottish police superintendents which indicate the primarily
managerial nature of the job of superintendent.
The findings point to the importance of training in inter-personal
and conceptual skills for police managers. The need for training in
turn points to the prior necessity for research.
Very little is known about the managerial aspects of the work of
senior police officers in Britain. There is a certain amount of
autobiographical and anecdotal material (Mark,
1978),
and there
has been in recent yearssome discussionabout the role of the police
in our society (Chapman,
1971;
Banton,
1973;
Alderson, 1979;Hain,
1979;
Whitaker, 1979; Hall,
1980).
Very little systematic research,
however, has been going on into the workings of British police forces,
and what there is has not been into their management (e.g. Manning,
1977;
Reiner,
1978;
McClure,
1980).
Anumber of books and articles
about the management of British police forces has been published,
but these have been impressionistic and prescriptive (e.g. Bunyard,
1978;
Wainwright &Smith,
1978).
Once recent text, for example,
Management in the Police Service, quotes no research material in the
text nor in its bibliography.
It
seems to us an extraordinary and undesirable state of affairs
that, at a time when there is growing public concern about the
efficiency and effectiveness of the police, there appears to be very
little research into police management activities and problems
(Clarke &Heal,
1979).
It
obviously results from a short-sighted
attitude towards the usefulness of research. A realistic assessment of
the value of research would show that it has uses both for training
purposes and for the improvement of police effectiveness. Better
information about the police would provide the potential for
improved management training, education and development. The
July 1981 281
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