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Publications
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Public-Private Partnerships for Police Reform
Chitra Bhanu and Christopher Stone
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 PDF: 68 K/9 pages
published: June 2004
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A growing number of police jurisdictions see the private business community as a dynamic source of external support for police reform. Yet, partnerships with private businesses, if poorly structured, can erode the professionalism and legitimacy of police organizations. In 2003, Vera and the Ford Foundation gathered an international group of police and private sector representatives in Nanyuki, Kenya, to explore the motives that may lead police and business leaders to expand their range of collaborations, as well as the early results from such partnerships. This account of that meeting addresses questions such as how can the dangers of police collusion with business leaders be avoided while encouraging constructive and principled public-private partnerships? |
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Bibliography on Democratic Policing
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published: April 2004
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Originally published by Vera in March 1998 as "Bibliography of Policing Literature with Select Annotations," this popular resource was updated in 2004 to include many more works published in languages other than English and was also converted to an on-line database. It is now hosted and maintained by Altus, the global justice alliance that Vera helped to create and of which Vera is a member. You can search the Bibliography on Democratic Policing on the Altus web site in five languages: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Russian.
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Democratic Policing Exchange: Volume 2, No. 3
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PDF: 46 KB/6 pages
published: March 2004
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Democratic Policing Exchange, a semi-annual newsletter on public safety and police accountability, is produced by the Vera Institute of Justice for the Ford Foundation.
IN THIS ISSUE
Researchers Gather in New Delhi to Chart a Future Course for Research on Community Policing
by Jennifer Trone
Rio Hosts Global Meeting on Women and Policing
by Francis James
For the Police, a Good First Impression Could be Crucial
by Jennifer Trone
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Common Ground and Crosscutting Themes on Funding Public Security Initiatives in Latin America
Emma Phillips and Todd Foglesong, Vera Institute of Justice
Cecilia Ales and Gustavo Palmieri, Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales
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PDF: 117 KB/19 pages
published: July 2003
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Crime and the quality of policing have become matters of profound and immediate importance to international foundations working to build democratic capacity in developing countries. In September 2002, the Ford Foundation, the Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales / CELS (Center for Legal and Social Studies), and Vera organized a meeting of donor organizations engaged in Latin America to begin a collective discussion of public security and police reform initiatives in the region. Drawing on that discussion and donor program materials, this report describes a range of approaches and strategies that donors and their grantees are deploying to reduce crime, improve public safety, and make policing more respectful and effective. It also explores how programs are developed and grantees selected, the common problems that donors face, and the opportunities for closer cooperation between donors. |
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Democratic Policing Exchange: Volume 2, No. 2
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PDF: 58 KB/8 pages
published: April 2003
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Democratic Policing Exchange, a semi-annual newsletter on public safety and police accountability, is produced by the Vera Institute of Justice for the Ford Foundation.
IN THIS ISSUE
Common Ground and Crosscutting Themes on Funding Public Security Initiatives in Latin America
by Todd Fogelsong and Emma Phillips
Stepping Backstage: Martín Abregú and George Vickers Talk About Going from Grantee to Donor
Set Up to Serve?: An International Group of Researchers Tests a Police Station Walkthrough and Visitor's Report
by Jennifer Trone
Recent Publications
Active Policing-Related Ford Grants
Grants in Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Russia, South Africa, and the United States.
Upcoming Meetings and Conferences
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Democratic Policing Exchange: Volume 2, No. 1
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PDF: 127 KB/8 pages
published: October 2002
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How can citizen surveys, computerized crime mapping, and civilian oversight mechanisms positively influence policing? These topics, which were the focus of the first three global meetings on policing in democratic societies, are featured in this new newsletter.
Democratic Policing Exchange, a semi-annual newsletter on public safety and police accountability, is produced by the Vera Institute of Justice for the Ford Foundation.
IN THIS ISSUE
In Russia, How Citizen Surveys Can Shape Policing
by Francis James
CRISP Director Reviews Global Meeting in Brazil on Crime Mapping
Claudio Beato interviewed by Chitra Bhanu
Police and Overseers Gather in Los Angeles
by Robin Campbell and Jennifer Trone
Active Policing-Related Ford Grants
Grants in Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Russia, South Africa, and the United States.
Recent Publications
Upcoming Meetings and Conferences
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Civilian Oversight of Policing: Lessons from the Literature
Joel Miller, with assistance from Cybele Merrick
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PDF: 359 KB/23 pages
published: September 2002
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This paper reviews the English language literature on the civilian oversight of police. It was prepared for the third global meeting on Policing in Democratic Societies, which took place in Los Angeles in May 2002. |
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Building Public Confidence in Police Through Civilian Oversight
Emma Phillips and Jennifer Trone
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PDF: 186 KB/16 pages
published: September 2002
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In both new and more mature democratic societies, citizens are putting increased pressure on police not only to control crime but also to treat everyone they contact fairly and with respect. This paper explores the different ways that citizens can monitor and shape law enforcement practices, and the challenges of that work. It captures issues discussed at an international meeting on civilian oversight of police held in Los Angeles in May 2002. That meeting brought together police officials from Brazil, the Czech Republic, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Peru, Russia, South Africa, and the United States and those who oversee their work from elsewhere within government and from non-governmental organizations.
The paper begins with a look at why civilian oversight arises, moves on to consider some of the tensions and competing interests related to crafting an appropriate role for civilian overseers, and ends with discussions about how overseers can maintain independence and objectivity while collaborating with police and the need to hold themselves accountable.
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Civilian Oversight of the Police in Democratic Societies
Christopher Stone and Merrick Bobb
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PDF: 143 KB/6 pages
published: September 2002
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In democratic societies, the police are accountable for many things and to many different people. Most prominently, police are accountable for the effectiveness with which they deal with crime and disorder, as well as for the legality, professionalism, and respect with which they treat people. While authoritarian police are accountable only to their superiors, democratic police are accountable to a multiplicity of bodies. In addition to their superiors, democratic police are accountable to the legislature, to the courts, to members of the public who seek their assistance, and to society as a whole through the press and organizations of citizens. The creation of mechanisms for the routine oversight of police conduct on behalf of the public, mechanisms that curb or correct abuses of power, is a common project of democratic societies. Prepared for the third global meeting on Policing in Democratic Societies, this short framework paper reviews some of the common dilemmas that arise in the design of such police oversight authorities. |
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Crime Mapping and the Policing of Democratic Societies
John Markovic and Christopher Stone
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PDF: 1 MB/13 pages
published: March 2002
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In democratic societies, police are ultimately accountable to the citizens, usually through interaction with public-interest groups or through the media. Yet, police also must answer directly to an internal command structure and to governing officials. These multiple sources of accountability sometimes create differing expectations. Computerized crime mapping, when thoughtfully implemented, can help police balance these interests. It is a versatile tool that can simultaneously enhance police accountability to the public, foster organizational efficiency and promote public safety. Covering a range of technical and policy issues, this paper discusses the benefits and challenges associated with crime mapping in democratic societies.
This paper provided a framework for a global meeting on crime mapping and community policing, one of a series of meetings on democratic policing hosted by Vera and supported by the Ford Foundation. Abstracts [PDF: 11 pages/132 KB] of other papers presented at the meeting are also available. |
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The Use of Citizens Surveys as a Tool for Police Reform
Robert C. Davis
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PDF: 76 KB/12 pages
published: July 2000
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Citizen surveys, long used by researchers to test hypotheses about police-citizen interactions, have recently be deployed as a tool for promoting police reform. This paper examines the citizen survey's potential role in creating more accountable and effective police forces, drawing on examples from Chicago, Illinois; Queens, New York; and St. Petersburg, Russia.
The study provided the framework for an international meeting on the use of citizen surveys as a tool for police reform, one of a series of meetings on democratic policing hosted by Vera and supported by the Ford Foundation. Abstracts [PDF: 11 pages/142 KB] of other papers presented at the meeting are also available. |
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