Public service: roles, responsibilities, and impact

Public Service

The modernisation of public services is taking place in response to the government's agendas

The issue and need for modernization and reform in the public service seems at first to be self- explanatory. It is generally accepted that all public services departments should be continually upgraded and improved as a matter of course and to maintain standards and meet requirements. However, the situation is more complex and intricate than it may appear and the idea of reform and modernization has to be considered in relation to other factors and aspects that necessitate this reform in the first place; and which are responsible for shaping the governmental agenda behind reform initiatives.

A good example of one of these factors is that a central concept that has to be considered in terms of public service modernization is the fact that we live in a rapidly evolving and changing world. The rate of change in our modern society is being fueled by new and increasingly sophisticated technologies, such as innovative forms of communication and the Internet. These changes bring about new challenges as well as problems that need to be dealt with by the public services. Therefore, in this light, the concept of modernization is an aspect that has to be continually addressed in order to deal with new areas of concern.

A central area of concern in our changing world is crime and modern public security considerations. In this regard the public service that stands at the forefront of issues such as crime and security are the police services. As will be discussed in this paper, there are a wide range of threats to public safety and security that have been created by our technological age and the environment in which we live. Coupled with this are the changing perceptions and expectations of the modern-day police service. This is an especially complex issue as the modern police service needs to reshape its image to meet modern requirements and to distance itself from more conservative views and perceptions of its functioning in order to meet the requirements of a contemporary society threatened by new forms of crime and criminal activity.

As the following analysis of various reports and studies will outline, one of the central aspects of public service modernization is that there is a need for greater interaction and understanding between the police services and the public. This is just one of the many considerations that fall under the heading of modernization in the police services and is a prime aspect that forms part of the government agenda on reform.

There are also many reports which attest to the fact that public services, including the police services, have improved dramatically. There have already been many major reforms in all sectors of the public services. While there is a drive to make our public services "world class" what many observes and pundits point out is that this can only be achieved when the idea of modernization is matched to the contemporary needs and demands of the society.

2. Modernization of the police services

2.1. Challenges and governmental agendas

The need for modernization in the public services and police services in particular is highlighted and emphasized by numerous documents, papers and reports that tend to stress the need for reform. This reaction to what are perceived to be the new challenges facing the public services are included in government policy documents and special mention is made of the police services. As one report notes:

As globalisation and the advances of technology revolutionise the lives of the law-abiding majority, new opportunities open up for opportunistic and determined criminals alike. Organised crime across international borders, e-crime and the threat from international terrorism continue to grow."

(FROM THE NEIGHBOURHOOD TO THE NATIONAL: POLICING OUR COMMUNITIES TOGETHER)

There are references to aspects such as the increasing threat posed to safety by the abuse of drugs and alcohol, which have become one of the main causes of crime. (FROM THE NEIGHBOURHOOD TO THE NATIONAL: POLICING OUR COMMUNITIES TOGETHER) There is also an increasing problem in society with re-offenders and those who return to criminal activities even after incarceration.

The battle against crime has also become more complex and technological - which in turn means that the police services have to be modernized to cope with these new threats. This has also placed a new emphasis on the area of specialization in the police force and there is a growling need for specialists in areas such as crime analysis and in computer fraud.

These are all aspects that have to be taken into consideration with regard to the envisaged changes in policies in the process of modernization. Another fact that is noted is the increasing Importance of including other partners in the fight against crime, such as big business, that should be coordinated with and incorporated into a more extensive and integrated set of governmental policy statements.

These are some of the aspects that have been a driving force behind governmental changes in policy, and are seen as motivating factors behind reform and modernization. Another factor that is included in plans for reform and modernization is the attention that is being given to more democratic mechanisms for involvement and participation in the police services from all sectors of the community. These factors are all aspects that set the agenda for governmental reform in the police services.

2. 2. Aspects of Modernization in the police force

The Green Paper From the neighbourhood to the national: policing our communities together by the Secretary of State for the Home Department also provides some important point's with regard to the issue of modernization and the reform process. One of the cardinal issues is that it "…sets out a new vision for a 21st century police service that gives the police greater power and sets out a clear deal for what the public can expect from the police." (FROM THE NEIGHBOURHOOD TO THE NATIONAL: POLICING OUR COMMUNITIES TOGETHER) This is an important point as it refers to the increased powers for the police services; which is a matter of contention and possible criticism that will be addressed in the last section of this paper.

This Green Paper also calls for "…greater freedom and flexibility" in the police service in order to deal more effectively with the new issues and problems that face this service. Importantly, it also refers to the other side of the Issue and to what the public expects of the police and the kind of services they want to receive. This leads to a number of important modernization issues as there is also a need for the modernization of the police force to take place in a way that is perceived by the public as being positive and not restrictive or overbearing in any way. Therefore the agenda towards modernization includes as a central aspect the need for a more open and integrated relationship with the public.

At the heart of this relationship is the importance of empowering citizens through an enhanced role for the public's voice in policing; driving professionalism in the service through greater freedom and discretion for all police forces to deliver increased public confidence; and ensuring a more strategic role for government.

(From the neighbourhood to the national: policing our communities together)

There are a number of documents that also stress this central aspect of the modernization agenda. For instance, the view that a new Policing Pledge should be implemented, which would embed "…neighbourhood policing into the broader management of local neighbourhoods; and through being able directly to elect the individuals that will both Chair their local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) and form the majority on their police authority." (From the neighbourhood to the national: policing our communities together) This is also related to the important aspect of increasing democratization and improving the image of the police force.

We will strengthen the democratic link between the public and the people who hold the police to account. We will introduce local directly elected Crime and Policing Representatives who will be responsible for ensuring that the police are tackling the priorities that concern us most."

(From the neighbourhood to the national: policing our communities together)

Another document entitled, Excellence and fairness: Achieving world class public services reiterates this aspect of the agenda and states that public services should be tailored to meet the personalized requirements of the citizens of the country and that, " No centrally driven or centrally accountable system can operate in this fine-grained way when confronted with literally millions of different public service users." (Excellence and fairness: Achieving world class public services) Central to the modernization agenda is the focus on the 'local dimension' and the way that government plans and policies should interface with the success already achieved with neighbourhood policing. It is suggest that this should even extend to "… allowing the public to elect a majority of their members directly from their communities. (From the neighbourhood to the national: policing our communities together)

2.3. Changes in structure.

In order to facilitate the above needs and requirements that are envisaged for the police services, the government has introduced a policy with regards to the structure of the police services. This is related to the view that there should be less of a "top-down" structure to the police services than was the case in the past. In other words, there is more of an emphasis on outcomes and value-added services.

To facilitate this ideal a number of important agencies have been established. These include the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA); Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA); the Chief Police Officers (ACPO)' Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA). Communication is facilitated by regular meeting with the Home Secretary. (From the neighbourhood to the national: policing our communities together)

2.3.1. Legislation

New structure also necessitates the creation of new legislation to ensure that the police service works in a formal and correct way. In this regard we can refer to some changes that have been initiated. New powers have been granted to the police to deal with crimes and terrorism. This is obviously related to the governmental agenda to broaden the fight against domestic crime as well as internal and external terrorism. These powers include Designated Public Place Orders (DPPOs) to extended powers in terrorist cases. (From the neighbourhood to the national: policing our communities together) One should also mention the range of new technologies that ensure wider coverage by the police services. These include DNA testing, Automatic Number Plate Recognition, and the use of CCTV. The police also have more extensive powers to seize finances in cases of money laundering. (From the neighbourhood to the national: policing our communities together) Some of these aspects have also been criticized in terms of privacy rights.

2.4. Specialization

As mentioned in the introduction, an essential part of any policy to modernize the police force needs to include the aspect of the specialization of certain services and duties within the structure of the police services. This is due to the changing nature of the fight against crime. As a report entitled, MODERNISING THE POLICE SERVICE by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary states, "The hugely complex nature of modern policing means the service needs an increasingly broad range of specialist skills and expertise to meet these challenges." (MODERNISING THE POLICE SERVICE)

2.5. Funding

New structures and organizational changes require specific funding needs. The literature notes that since 1997 there have been substantial increases in funding for the police services in England and Wales. This includes the fact that government grants to the police have increased by 58 per cent between 1997/98 and 2008/09. (From the neighbourhood to the national: policing our communities together) This has also resulted in a significant increase in the number of police officers which has assisted in the reduction of crime. Furthermore, "Government funding for the police overall will rise by at least 2.7% in each of the three years from 2007/08 to 2010/11." (From the neighbourhood to the national: policing our communities together)

In terms of the modernization strategy there have been funding and auditing changes. There has been a trend to move away "ring-fenced funding pots." This means that there is a move towards a more open and flexible funding policy, where the police authorities have the facility to determine where best to allocate and use funding resources. However, there are still some areas that are more restricted in terms of funding structure. It is also important to note that the funding for neighbourhood policing is increasing by £26m (5%) between 2007/08 and 2010/11, and foe counter-terrorism by £107m (22.6%) between 2007/08 and 2010/11. This points to another aspect of the government agenda and the role of Audit office in this regard.

2.5. Communication

This modernization process is obviously heavily dependent on good communication, especially when one considers that a central aspect of the modernization strategy is the interaction and support of the public. The ways in which these changes and reforms are communicated are imperative in terms of alleviating public scepticism and doubt. As the Green Paper discussed above notes, part of the government agenda is a greater emphasis on shared information and feedback. There has led to an effort to ensure adequate communication with sectors of the population, such as the youth.

2.6. Resistance and critiques

The modernization process in the police services is driven by central agendas and plans by the government. A few of the most significant of these have been discussed above. The government has claimed that reforms and modernization in the police services have already led to success in terms of crime reduction and public interaction. However, there are some critiques of the direction of this modernization.