A policing model that has remained remarkably unchanged since the 19th century is no longer adequate for 21st century concerns in Canada.
So says a panel of experts from Canada, the United States and Britain including Christopher Murphy of Dal鈥檚 Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, who specializes in the study of policing.聽
Dr. Murphy sat on the panel that formulated the report, released late last fall, titled The panel, organized through the Council of Canadian Academies, included academics and other experts with backgrounds in policing.
鈥淭his panel was asked by the government to look at the current research on policing and the direction of policing in the future,鈥� says Dr. Murphy. To do this, the panel needed to look at all facets of the policing structure: training, education, philosophy, practices, and more. 鈥淏asically [we discussed] how to equip policing for the 21st century, to be effective and efficient,鈥� he says.
It is not difficult to see how policing in today鈥檚 context is different than it was when the police force concept took shape in the 19th century. Crimes are becoming much more complex and global, including issues such as border security and the fight against terrorism, identity theft and cybercrime. Crimes in these areas are challenging traditional policing models and creating a need for more specialization and collaboration with other organizations.
However, Dr. Murphy was quick to dispel the idea that policing鈥檚 only role is to fight crime.
鈥淚 think one of the points in the report was that actually policing is about a whole lot more than crime, and that increasingly much of what they do is only to some extent related to crime, but more to disorder,鈥� he explains.
鈥淭hey actually spend, in many cases, more time dealing with mental disorders, social conflict, public order policing, political protest. So while crime is evolving in relation to the Internet 鈥� and is much more global, less local 鈥� these other aspects of what they do remain important also."
Collaboration with other organizations
Police have been collaborating with other organizations for quite some time, but according to Dr. Murphy, it鈥檚 time to start actually talking about how to do it properly. 鈥淭his is not a revelation so much as an acknowledgement that... police can鈥檛 meet their mandate, which has broadened, without enlisting the support and involvement of other partners.鈥�
This could include community, private or corporate agencies. 鈥淭his is where accountability becomes important,鈥� he continues. 鈥淲e need to enhance the transparency and accountability in policing if they鈥檙e going to be working collaboratively with other agencies.鈥�
Another major finding of the report is that the traditional model of police training and education is no longer adequate to meet the more complex and challenging issues facing police today.
鈥淲e basically need better educated, more diverse police officers, who feel comfortable working with other agencies and environments and, in a sense, outside the box that they were previously in,鈥� says Dr. Murphy.
Dr. Murphy discusses the possibility of police officers requiring university degrees in the future. 鈥淎nd more than that, perhaps broader experiences,鈥� he adds. 鈥淲e need people who speak different languages. We need cultural understandings.鈥�
Research, academia and policing
What interests Dr. Murphy most is the concept of evidence-based policing. Policing in Canada today, he explains, is largely based on experience and intuition, rather than being based on a sound body of academic research and evidence. England is moving toward the latter model, and Dr. Murphy believes Canada should follow suit.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a much bigger emphasis in the future on investing in knowledge, development and science-based findings, evaluation strategies. This will take the guesswork out of policing a little bit, make it a bit more efficient, a little more precise, put on a better foundation,鈥� he says.
In terms of what this means for universities like AV俱乐部, Dr. Murphy sees a shift towards a closer, more collaborative relationship between universities and the policing community.
鈥淎nd I think this is healthy,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 think all of the benefits that a general education does provide 鈥� exposure to new ideas, new ways of thinking, et cetera 鈥� those kinds of experiences and values need to become part of the new police culture for the 21st century. And I think that鈥檚 happening but needs to happen more aggressively in the future.鈥�