Third Party Policing

Description

Third party policing represents a major shift in contemporary crime control practices. As the lines blur between criminal and civil law, responsibility for crime control no longer rests with state agencies but is shared between a wide range of organisations, institutions or individuals. The first comprehensive book of its kind, Third Party Policing examines this growing phenomenon, arguing that it is the legal basis of third party policing that defines it as a unique strategy. Opening up the debate surrounding this controversial topic, the authors examine civil and regulatory controls necessary to this strategy and explore the historical, legal, political and organizational environment that shape its adoption. This innovative book combines original research with a theoretical framework that reaches far beyond criminology into politics and economics. It offers an important addition to the world-wide debate about the nature and future of policing and will prove invaluable to scholars and policy makers.

Lorraine Mazerolle is an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Griffith University. She is the author of Policing Places with Drug Problems (1999) and co-editor, with Jan Roehl, of Civil Remedies and Crime Prevention (1998). Janet Ransley is a senior lecturer in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Griffith University. She has worked extensively in legal practice, and in providing research and policy advice for parliamentary and government agencies in Australia. Dr Ransley is the co-editor, with Tim Prenzler, of Police Reform: Building Integrity (2003).

'The important contribution of this book is that it defines and outlines the dimensions of strategies for crime prevention and control that fall between formal policing and citizen responsibility as well as provides an evaluation of current and past third party policing efforts. This is important because it enables researchers and practitioners not only to have a common language by which to refer to this activity, but also specific guidance for practice.' Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management