12 Summary of Week 5

During this week you have read about contemporary issues of police misconduct examining cases such as David Carrick and Wayne Couzens. You learned how such cases resulted in falling levels of trust and confidence in the police and the importance of having independent oversight (from organisations such as the IOPC) along with strict professional standards. You also learned how the roles of some of these independent bodies could be problematic. Turning to history you read about a number of high-profile scandals involving policing corruption and misconduct. You learned how these scandals led to the evolution of independent oversight and professional standards, for example, through the introduction of an Inspectorate of Constabulary or through increased training.

You should now be able to:

• appreciate the historical frequency of scandals involving police officers
• understand the development of professional standards and complaints procedures
• discuss the insights this history may give to contemporary debates in policing.

In Week 6, you will be learning about policing and technology.

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