Policing the police in the United Kingdom

Crime and motive as predictors of jail sentence for police misconduct

“…Police crime is here defined as intentional crime committed by police officers on duty, since the Norwegian Bureau for the Investigation of Police Affairs e a sister organisation of the Independent Police Complaints Commission in the UK e only investigates crime at work. Policing police crime is defined as enforcing law on potential and actual criminal employees in the police organization (Seneviratne, 2004). Earlier we would say who might watch the watchman, or who is guarding the guardian -now we say who is policing the police.…”

The evolution of police oversight in Australia

“…10Á 11, 2010. The Commission, however, remains a mixed model, with substantial reliance on police for investigations and limitations on input into disciplinary decisions (Seneviratne 2004, Smith 2009a). The Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, established in 2000, demonstrates most of the features of the civilian control model.…”

“…The repeated failures of internal investigations and discipline drove the evolution towards civilian oversight mainly from the 1950s in English-speaking countries (Finn 2001). The powers and functions of these oversight agencies often vary significantly, but two basic models have been identified: (1) a 'minimal review model' where agencies audit police complaints investigations, recommend changes to procedures or disciplinary decisions and respond to appeals from dissatisfied complainants; and (2) a 'civilian control model' where agencies conduct independent investigations, deploy a variety of advanced investigative tools (including compulsory hearings and covert surveillance), have a role in disciplinary decisions and prosecutions and evaluate police internal corruption prevention strategies (Prenzler 2000, Seneviratne 2004. The civilian control model has frequently been resisted by police managers and police unions who wish to keep complaints processing in-house and by governments wishing to minimise costs and avoid embarrassing exposure of misconduct.…”

“…The Ombudsman investigates all public complaints using civilian dominated investigation teams. There is also a capacity to appeal police decisions to an independent tribunal or direct the Chief Constable to take disciplinary action (Seneviratne 2004).…”

White-Collar Crime and Police Crime: Rotten Apples or Rotten Barrels?

“…Police crime tends to be discovered when investigating police complaints and whistle blowing. Policing police crime is defined as enforcing law on potential and actual criminal employees in the police organization (Seneviratne, 2004). According to the United Nations (UNODC, 2006), the great majority of individuals involved in policing is committed to honorable and competent public service and is consistently demonstrating high standards of personal and procedural integrity in performing their duties.…”