The Abstract Police

1 Introduction: Abstract Police, the Concept and Some Main Questions 1
Jan Terpstra, Nicholas R. Fyfe & Renze Salet
1.1 Abstract Police: The Concept 2
1.2 Main Questions and Topics 5
1.3 The Chapters of the Book 8
1.4 References 12

2 The Abstract Police and Occupational Culture 15
Michael Rowe, Liam Ralph, Andrew Millie & Matthew Jones
2.1 Introduction 15
2.2 Abstract Police and Occupational Culture 16
2.3 Methodology 18
2.4 Findings 18
2.5 Job-To-Job-To-Job 19
2.6 The Physical Working Environment 21
2.7 Single-Crewed Deployment 24
2.8 Technology 26
2.9 The Police Family and Abstract Police 28
2.10 Discussion and Conclusion 31
2.11 References 32

3 AbstractPolice andPolice ‘Professionalism’:ContemporaryContradictions in British Policing 35
Tom Cockcroft & Jacques de Maillard
3.1 Introduction 35
3.2 The Reconfiguration of Public Sector and State Relations 36
3.3 Education, the New Professionalisation Agenda and the Dominance of Organisational/Managerial Values 38
3.4 Increased Monitoring and Internal Negotiations in British Police Organisations 41
3.5 Discussion and Conclusion 49
3.6 References 52

4 Reform and Emergent Police Practice in Scotland: In Search of Situated Policing 57
Alistair Henry & Nicholas R. Fyfe
4.1 Introduction 57
4.2 Police Reforms as Particular Institutional Designs 58
4.3 Designing Police Scotland: The Possibilities of Enhanced Efficiency, Equity and Engagement 61
4.4 Abstract Policing and Situated Practice: Probing Tensions Between the Designed and the Emergent 63
4.5 Police Reform in Scotland: Towards the Abstract Police? 66
4.6 Discussion and Conclusions 72
4.7 References 76

5 Community Policing in the Age of Abstract Police 81
Jan Terpstra & Renze Salet
5.1 Abstract Police 82
5.2 Community Policing in the Netherlands 83
5.3 Internal Relations 85
5.4 Relations with Communities, Citizens and Partner Agencies 88
5.5 Digitalisation 90
5.6 Abstract Police and Strategies of Community Officers 93
5.7 Concluding Remarks 95
5.8 References 97

6 Investigating at a Distance: Abstractness in Detective Work 103
Helene O.I. Gundhus, Niri Talberg & Christin Thea Wathne
6.1 Introduction 103
6.2 Contextualising Informationalised Investigation 104
6.3 Centralisation and the Alienating Effect 109
6.4 Specialisation and the Fragmentation of Work Processes 117
6.5 Digitalisation, Standardisation and Discretion 120
6.6 Discussion and Concluding Remarks 123
6.7 References 125

7 Risks of Abstractness in Policing Honour-Based Violence 131
Janine Janssen
7.1 The Tank Case 131
7.2 What Is Honour-Based Violence? 133
7.3 Dutch Police and Honour-Based Violence 134
7.4 The Abstract Police and Honour-Based Violence 138
7.5 Finally: Is This (Good) Police Work? 145
7.6 References 146

8 An Assessment of Police Technology and the ‘Iron Cage’ of the Abstract Police in the United States 151
James J. Willis, Christopher S. Koper & Cynthia Lum
8.1 The Police and Information Technology 152
8.2 The Impact of Information Technology on Policing 154
8.3 Accountability and Management 155
8.4 Internal and External Communication and Relationships 157
8.5 Police Discretion 160
8.6 Conclusion 161
8.7 References 163

9 Good Policing in Times of Abstract Police 169
Kai Seidensticker & Felix Bode
9.1 Introduction 169
9.2 Tasks and Aims of Police Forces 170
9.3 Going Abstract 173
9.4 Going More Abstract in Times of Big Data 173
9.5 Consequences of Increasing Abstractness 175
9.6 Good Policing in Times of Abstract Police 178
9.7 Concluding Remarks 179
9.8 References 180

10 Canadian Reflections on ‘the Abstract Police’ 183
James Sheptycki
10.1 Introduction 183
10.2 The Abstract Police – An Inventory of Symptoms in Canada 186
10.3 What Is to Be Done About the Abstract Police? 197
10.4 Concluding Thoughts 198
10.5 References 200

11 ‘Virtual Policing’, Trust and Legitimacy 213
Ben Bradford, Elizabeth Aston, Megan O’Neill & Helen Wells
11.1 Introduction: Technology Shift and the Abstract Police 213
11.2 Sources of Trust and Legitimacy 217
11.3 Procedural Justice in Interactions Between Police and Public 218
11.4 Possible Futures in a World of Technologically Mediated Police Contact 222
11.5 Mitigating the Impact of Technologically Mediated Contact on Police Legitimacy 229
11.6 References 231

Contributors 239