Local security management: Policing through networks

Abstract

Anglo‐American community policing has been implemented in Finland since 1996 but there has been a long tradition of the community policing style, called the village police, since the 1960s. The police enjoy a great deal of public confidence, the welfare society has been stable, with no significant social divisions and rather low crime, and therefore there have been no urgent needs or pressures for policing reform. Both the adoption and the implementation of the community policing strategy have been a part of wider public sector modernization, including the service orientation, improved efficiency and responsibility. This paper is based on two process evaluation studies; “The implementation of community policing in Finland – a management of change approach” (2000) and “Local security networks and safety planning – a case of Tampere” (2001). The implementation process has been one of learning by doing. There was a shift in thinking and practice in 1999 when community policing was seen more as a dynamic development process and means rather than a model and a goal, as before. Community policing policy in Finland prioritizes strategic partnerships, networks and local safety planning, and it is re‐named as local policing or local security management. A process evaluation of local networking and safety planning (Tampere) shows that several factors contribute to the successful process of partnership formation, networking and collaboration.

Citation

Virta, S. (2002), "Local security management: Policing through networks", Policing: An International Journal, Vol. 25 No. 1, pp. 190-200. https://doi.org/10.1108/13639510210417962