Scandinavian police reforms: can you have your cake and eat it, too?

TY - JOUR

T1 - Scandinavian police reforms: can you have your cake and eat it, too?

AU - Holmberg, Lars

PY - 2014/11/1

Y1 - 2014/11/1

N2 - The paper describes the plans for, and outcomes of, police organizational reforms in the Scandinavian countries. The reforms share a number of similarities, among them drastic reductions in the number of police districts, more Governmental oversight, increased reliance on performance indicators, and claims that these reforms are to be understood as decentralizations that will increase police ability to service citizens and meet the demands of local communities. The paper argues that the reforms are primarily to be understood as examples of centralization, and that local policing has suffered as a result.

AB - The paper describes the plans for, and outcomes of, police organizational reforms in the Scandinavian countries. The reforms share a number of similarities, among them drastic reductions in the number of police districts, more Governmental oversight, increased reliance on performance indicators, and claims that these reforms are to be understood as decentralizations that will increase police ability to service citizens and meet the demands of local communities. The paper argues that the reforms are primarily to be understood as examples of centralization, and that local policing has suffered as a result.

U2 - 10.1080/15614263.2013.795745

DO - 10.1080/15614263.2013.795745

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1561-4263

VL - 15

SP - 447

EP - 460

JO - Police Practice and Research

JF - Police Practice and Research

IS - 6

ER -