Experiencing Organizational Change During an Era of Reform: Police Scotland, Narratives of Localism, and Perceptions from the ‘Frontline’

Abstract

In 2011, the Scottish Government took the decision to create a single, national police force, reconfiguring a structure of regional police forces, which had prevailed since the 19th century. Despite a strong narrative around localism in the legislation establishing Police Scotland, the new force that was established in 2013 quickly found itself at the centre of a debate around an emerging ‘crisis of localism’ as critics expressed concerns over the centralization of decision-making and a lack of sensitivity to local contexts. Drawing on qualitative research carried out in four communities across Scotland in 2016, the analysis presented in this article examines the experience of organizational change from the perspective of officers in local policing teams and from local stakeholders. The analysis is structured around the strategic aims of reform of improved local service delivery, more equal local access to specialist expertise, and enhanced connections with local communities. The article highlights the sense of exclusion from the decision-making surrounding the organizational changes associated with the implementation of reform experienced by local, rank-and-file officers.

Achieving cultural change through organizational justice: The case of stop and search in Scotland

“…It is clear that officers in Scotland have experienced major upheaval as a result of centralisation (Fyfe et al, 2018). For the most part, and contrary to key organizational justice principles, the reform process was 'top down' insofar as officers were not consulted and communication was one-way (Hail, 2016;Fyfe et al, 2018). away from performance management (and greater willingness to engage with outside organizations) is positive, there also needs to be openness and engagement between senior officers and rank and file officers.…”

“…Alongside the changes to stop and search discussed herein, other shifts in the Scottish policing field have provided further challenges, as well as opportunities to change officers’ habitus and practices. It is clear that officers in Scotland have experienced major upheaval as a result of centralization (Fyfe et al, 2018). For the most part, and contrary to key organizational justice principles, the reform process was ‘top–down’ insofar as officers were not consulted and communication was one-way (Fyfe et al, 2018; Hail, 2016).…”

The struggle is real: Theorising community justice restructuring agonistically

“…Under a Scottish National Party (SNP) government agenda driven by imperatives of asserting Scottish distinctiveness and legislative competence (MacLennan, 2016), major change has taken place across these institutions. This includes a turn towards a desistance agenda in SPS (McConnell et al, 2013), the merging of police forces into a single national force in 2013 (Fyfe et al, 2018), and the geographic restructuring of the courts service.…”

Just ‘students, old timers, and sammies’? Exploring the role of stewards and private matchday security in the plural policing of Scottish football

“…This was recognised by those in the police service. For Kyle, a police officer who worked closely with a football club based in his area, Whilst the use of stewards is beneficial for the police service in that it frees up police resources for use elsewhere in Scotland's communities, particularly given that police forces across the UK have been faced with increasing demand and an expanding remit (see Boulton et al, 2017;Fyfe et al, 2018), it was also recognised that the use of stewards can have benefits on its own terms. As a police officer noted, particularly in the context of Scotland's new 'national' police service,…”

“…(Kyle, police officer)Alexander, a senior officer in the same area, reflected on the rationale for reducing the police footprint at football events from his perspective,At [mentions fixture] I have reduced the detail [number of police officers deployed] by about a third…They [the host club] are delighted because you are bringing down the cost, but it’s not just about the cost, it’s about, as an area commander say I need my town centre covered, so why am I taking cops away from the day-to-day stuff to stand at the football? (Alexander, police officer)Whilst the use of stewards is beneficial for the police service in that it frees up police resources for use elsewhere in Scotland’s communities, particularly given that police forces across the UK have been faced with increasing demand and an expanding remit (see Boulton et al, 2017; Fyfe et al, 2018), it was also recognised that the use of stewards can have benefits on its own terms. As a police officer noted, particularly in the context of Scotland’s new ‘national’ police service,The benefit a football club has [from stewarding] is that they [stewards] have familiarity with the venue, a knowledge of the contingencies of that venue and subtle nuances that a police officer might not be able to understand if deployed there from a different part of the country.…”