Responsible Participation, Community Engagement and Policing in Transitional Societies: Lessons from a Local Crime Survey in Northern Ireland

• NCJ Number: 243558
• Journal: Howard Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 51 Issue: 5 Dated: December 2012 Pages: 488-502
• Author(s): Graham Ellison; Peter Shirlow; Aogan Mulcahy
• Date Published: December 2012
• Length: 15 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

This article the authors drew on a local crime survey conducted in a Republican area in Belfast to examine residents' views of policing and to highlight residents' concerns about police effectiveness in dealing with crime and disorder.

Abstract

The new structures of policing in Northern Ireland have been internationally lauded as a success, but the manner in which police-community relations are unfolding in local settings is less clear. In this article the authors drew on a local crime survey conducted in a Republican area in Belfast to examine residents' views of policing and to highlight residents' concerns about police effectiveness in dealing with crime and disorder. Drawing on Habermas's concept of 'responsible participation', the authors also consider the role that community organizations can play in helping overcome local skepticism and developing positive forms of engagement with the police. Abstract published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons.