Recovering Police Legitimacy

Rafe McGregor is Reader in Criminology at Edge Hill University, UK, prior to which he spent fifteen years in the police and the prison service.

“This is a highly original book in a field that is crying out for new thinking and transformative approaches. Its originality lies in its sources, the nature of its case studies, its approach to analysing the problems of contemporary policing, and in its solution to the dangers we face. It is a bold manifesto for critical thinking and for radical change written by someone with both insider and outsider expertise.”Professor Tim Newburn, London School of Economics“This is a highly original, thought provoking and challenging analysis of one of the major issues of our time. The legitimacy of the police as the agency charged with the state’s domestic force is always a political balancing act. But in recent years it has been subject to increasing crises in the UK, US and elsewhere, culminating in calls not just for radical reform but for abolition. Rafe McGregor deploys a plethora of innovative conceptual and methodological tools to understand and tackle the problems besetting police and policing. These draw on philosophy, cultural and literary studies, and political economy to illuminate the requirements of good policing and how police leaders can restore these. This is essential reading for all students and practitioners of policing, and beyond that of our contemporary moral and political quagmire.”Emeritus Professor Robert Reiner, London School of Economics“McGregor combines an innovative approach with a meticulously evidenced diagnosis of the transatlantic crisis of police legitimacy. However, this book doesn’t stop at diagnosis and includes a radical yet practicable framework for change which skilfully addresses policing practices, institutions and their systemic context. This is a powerful manifesto for change.”Professor Sarah Charman, University of Portsmouth“Drawing on policing scholarship and Rafe McGregor’s own experience as a police officer, this book provides a sophisticated account of the factors that corrode the legitimacy of Anglo-American policing, offering an intelligent roadmap for the recovery of police legitimacy. Essential reading for legitimacy theorists.”Emeritus Professor Mike Hough, Birkbeck, University of London“In his book, Recovering Police Legitimacy, Rafe McGregor tackles the most crucial issue facing police around the globe. Legitimacy is recognized as the foundation for effective policing and McGregor eloquently describes the “legitimacy” problem facing police in both the US and the UK. McGregor brings both academic and practitioner credentials to the task. He is the author 15 books and served as a police officer in Durban, South Africa and his tightly researched work deserves wide readership.”Captain Howard Rahtz, (RET.), Cincinnati Police Department“Police legitimacy is essential in a healthy democracy. In this book, McGregor argues that police in the UK and the US are experiencing an unprecedented legitimacy crisis. To restore legitimacy, he recommends changes in policing as a practice, policing as an institution, and the systemic context of policing. His recommendations are thought-provoking and worthy of serious consideration.”Professor Ed Maguire, Arizona State University

• Part 1: The Problem 1. The Crisis of Police Legitimacy 2. Practice, Institution, and Context Part 2: Methodology 3. Autoethnography 4. Critical Case Studies Part 3: Case Studies 5. Southern California, 2013-2014 6. West Yorkshire, 1980 7. Los Angeles, 1947-1958 Part 4: The Solution 8. Public Protection and Police Legitimacy 9. Reviewing the Evidence 10. The Radical Framework