Police performance, reform & community safety: How we came to where we are going

The principles of the New Public Management have had a significant impact upon the police service in the last decade. The discipline of meeting centrally directed objectives has tended to shift attention away from the issues and concerns that structure perceptions of the fear of crime and community safety. The Police Bill presently before Parliament seeks to redress this by the use of community support officers. The consequences of this innovation are discussed in this paper.