Between a rock and a hard place: RCMP organizational change

Examines how the collision of neo‐liberalism and regionally specific social forces have created a specific manifestation of community based policing. The merger of neo‐liberalism and community policing has taken place under common conditions of downsizing, fiscal downloading and organizational restructuring. These conditions have not, however, led to a consistency of application. The political, economic and social variables differ across regions, as do the stimuli for reform and the manner in which community policing has been implemented. As a result, each region has uniquely articulated the neo‐liberal tenet of community involvement in community based policing. This range of reform initiatives is examined first from the perspective of broad RCMP organizational shifts and then within the context of Alberta (K‐Division).