Regional policing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Regional policing - Essay Example A recent manual promoting regional policing cites seven advantages of regional policing as compared to the previous system of devolved units: i) Improvement in the Uniformity and Consistency of Police Enforcement, ii) Improvements in the Coordination of Law Enforcement Services, iii) Improvement in the Distribution and Deployment of Police Personnel, iv) Improvement in Training and Personnel Efficiency, v) Improved Police Management and Supervision, vi) Reduced Costs and vii) Improved Career Enhancement Opportunities for Police Officers. (Regional Police Services, 2011, pp. 3-4). There are also some accepted disadvantages and these are a) Loss of Local Non-enforcement Services, b) Loss of Local Control and c) Loss of Citizen Contact. A close analysis of the advantages reveals that the main beneficiaries of regional policing are the government departments, and of course the taxpayers who fund them, because regional policing reduces costs and makes efficiency gains. It could also be argued that more uniformity and consistency, along with better management and supervision of personnel results in a fairer and more effective police force, which again benefits the taxpayer. The creation of bigger units of service delivery also benefits police personnel, because there is a greater potential to move sideways to try different roles and gain more experience, and to apply for promotion. The downside of emphasizing regional policing over local or community policing, is that some traditional practices, such as the use of police for particular local non-law enforcement functions, such as those related to parking and permits, may no longer involve police. This removes the reassurance of police presence from the public space, and results in lower visibility and perhaps also a reduced linkage between the local people and their police force. In a way regional policing