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POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY AND LOCAL DEMOCRACY

01 January 1991

POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY AND LOCAL DEMOCRACY
refdoc July=1991

JOURNAL ARTICLE , User Ref = 009461
S J Smith , University of Glasgow Centre for Housing Research
Area, Jun 1986 18(2) pp99-107

Describes the legislative basis of accountability in view of the
growing political debate over the relationship between police
activity and control and local democracy. Given that
accountability to the law is not seen as a sufficient guarantee
of just policing, draws on the ideas of political geography about
central local relationships to develop a structure in which
local states have full powers over local policy subject only to
nationally agreed constraints on, for example, the need for
policies to remain within the law. On a practical level this
could be achieved through a police authority consisting entirely
of elected members and responsible by law to local community
councils. Argues that such an approach would combine
responsiveness to community needs, respect for the national
interest and adherence to the law. 51 references .

United Kingdom, local government

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