Implementing Policing with the Community in Northern Ireland: An Exercise in Strategic Organisational Change

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is currently undergoing substantial and
radical change. This study explores the views and experiences of PSNI officers towards
the new style of Policing with the Community, as envisaged by the Independent
Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland. Interviews and focus groups were
conducted with 50 officers in neighbourhood or 'sector' policing teams within two PSNI
Districts. Content analysis procedures were applied to classify the meanings present in
the data and to identify recurring themes. The study has revealed seven key themes
impacting upon the successful implementation of Policing with the Community within
the PSNI. These are: (1) Supportive spirit for Policing with the Community, (2)
Difficulties in translating the philosophy into practice, (3) Staffing Issues, (4) Engaging
with the community, (5) Measuring and Rewarding Sector Performance, (6) Role
confusion, and (7) Split force approach militates against Policing with the Community.
These themes are examined in the context of international research demonstrating
difficulties with implementing community policing worldwide. They are also explored in
relation to established psychological models of organizational change. Insights are
offered on the management of the ongoing change programme within policing in
Northern Ireland. These revolve around seeing change as a successful alignment of
organizational mission, structures and operating procedures; exploring the implications
for PSNI of planned and emergent models of change; and understanding police culture as
a product of relations and interactions with the wider environment. Policy implications
and priorities for practice are identified.

This thesis supplied via ROAR to UEL-registered users is protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights, and duplication of any part of the material is not permitted, except for your personal use for the purposes of non-commercial research and private study in electronic or print form. You must obtain permission from the copyright-holder for any other use. Electronic or print copies may not be offered, for sale or otherwise, to anyone. No quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement.