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Rethinking the Models of Police Oversight: Toward a New Paradigm

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Synonyms

Civilian oversight of police; Police accountability; Police oversight models

Definition

The police oversight model refers to the mechanisms or systems that are in place to handle incidents of police misconduct. Incidents of police misconduct can be handled internally or by an outside body or institution.

Introduction

The policing function, among other governmental functions, is arguably the most visible and the most intimately involved with the well-being of individuals in communities. Consequently, police organizations occupy an important position in the engagement between governments and their citizens. The police are also invested with far-reaching powers and a significant degree of discretion in order to perform their duty: to uphold the law and protect citizens. They have the power to contravene the rights of citizens in circumstances where it is legally permitted, and they also have a duty to protect innocent people and to be accountable to the public.

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Correspondence to Ishmael Mugari .

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Mugari, I. (2018). Rethinking the Models of Police Oversight: Toward a New Paradigm. In: Farazmand, A. (eds) Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_3631-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_3631-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-31816-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-31816-5

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