The British Experience of Plural Policing through the ‘Police Extended Family and its Implications for the New Two-tier Policing in South Korea

The British Experience of Plural Policing through the ‘Police Extended Family and its Implications for the New Two-tier Policing in South Korea

  Though there has been no single police ‘position’ on the governance of plural policing in Britain, an influential model (‘the police extended family’) has begun to emerge. With increased pluralization there has been a growing dispute about the governance (or ‘ownership’) of community policing for ‘risk society’ through shared responsibility. This paper examines recent developments with regard to the governance of community policing in Britain and its implications for the new two-tier policing in South Korea. First, it considers municipal-led modes of community policing in Britain. By the provision of government funding and the new legislation (the Police Reform Act 2002), municipalities have been able to employ ‘neighbourhood (or community) wardens’ and ‘Accredited Community Safety Officers (ACSOs)’ and to undertake a variety of tasks including crime prevention and environmental improvement with or without certain police powers. The second part of the  paper examines key aspects of this model particularly as it applies to the employment of ‘community support officers’ by constabularies in England and Wales. Amongst the issues considered are the impacts of the new extended family members. The third section looks at the new municipal policing system which is to be enacted sooner (definitely in Cheju Special Municipal County in July) or later upon the passage of the Municipal Police Bil) in South Korea. The final section considers the problems and challenges found in the British extended family system. It potentially enabled the researcher to anticipate the future challenges for the new two-tier policing in South Korea and their proper countermeasures in the Korean context to improve community safety through more effective partnership between the local authorities and the national police.