Civilian Oversight of Policing: Governance, Democracy and Human Rights

by Andrew Goldsmith (Editor), Colleen Lewis (Editor)

How the police are policed is no longer just a domestic issue. The involvement of police,and other security forces, in systematic abuses of human rights in many developing countries, as well as in so called developed countries, has placed the control of police on a number of international agendas. More and more countries are experimenting with different forms of police accountability and many are turning to civilian oversight bodies in an attempt to improve the process.



This book examines recent experiences with, and prospects for, civilian oversight. It looks at how this relatively new method of police accountability has been interpreted and implemented in a wide range of jurisdictions around the world. While looking at recent experiences in countries which have used the civilian oversight process for some years (the United States of America, United Kingdom, Northern Ireland and Australia), it also looks at recent attempts to establish civilian oversight bodies in South Africa, Israel, Central and South America and Palestine. Some chapters explain how, in several of these countries, oversight of police conduct is a fundamental governance issues, and relates to concerns about democratisation and rebuilding civil society. Other chapters deal with the complex issue of how to evaluate public complaints mechanisms and the political conditions that enable or frustrate the introduction and maintenance of effective civilian oversight.

320 pages, Hardcover

First published November 10, 2000

Reviews

[Molson]

Specialized and informative book for people involved in more institutional change of police, especially in constructing independent police monitors or civilian review boards; lessons from across the world.

[Spicy T AKA Mr. Tea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started this book a few years ago and just finished. As an anthology it's a pretty interesting look at police accountability from around the world. Like any anthology, some essays are better than the others. Taken as a whole, different oversight systems express the same systemic issues regardless of location: lack of independence, lack of clear mandate, lack of effective oversight powers, lack of resources, and lack of staff. One has to ask if the state is actually interested in oversight or if it is more of a pressure valve without actual widespread accountability. Every once in a while people are held accountable but not often and usually with great effort. This book provides an interesting dataset but does not provide much in the way of examples of effective oversight. If you are interested in such subject matter this book is useful but dry at times. If not, perhaps do not waste your time. Or read it quickly.