Community, Policing and Accountability The Politics of Policing in Manchester in the 1980s

Originally published in 1994, this work examines the different models of police accountability that were implemented in the 1980s. Based on research carried out in Manchester, the work discusses local government efforts to construct a new social contract between the police and the community. The research is considered within the wider theoretical debates about the nature of participatory democracy. The conclusion argues that there is an urgent need to confront the complexities of constructing satisfactory police-community relations in Britain's inner cities. It evaluates whether the reorganization of policing at the time would lead to a more accountable police service. It was one of the first books in this country to argue for an abolitionist position that is now central to BLM debates. Today it can be read against the backdrop of ongoing debates of police accountability and police race relations.

Acknowledgements. Introduction. 1. The Politics of Police Accountability 2. Theoretical Concerns 3. Policing Manchester 1976-81 4. Police Committee and Community Liaison 5. City Council and Police Monitoring 6. Losing the Fight for Police Accountability 7. Police Authority and Community Liaison 8. City Council and Community Safety 9. Unsettled Accounts. Bibliography. Index.

Eugene McLaughlin