Officers or Managers? Direct Entry into British Police Management

Abstract

Suggests that the British police service is experiencing the effects of the “new managerialism” in the public sector. A particular concern has been the system of single‐point entry to the service and its capacity to provide the police with the managers it needs to tackle contemporary issues. Points out that calls for reform have tended to focus on the merits and demerits of an “officer class” solution. Argues that rhetoric about military‐style elites for the police has blocked open discussion about the potential advantages of dual‐or even multiple‐point entry to the service. Examines the debate and counters criticisms surrounding it through comparisons with reforms in Britain′s National Health Service, and also with the Dutch and Japanese police. Argues that direct entry could catalyze change and improvement in the areas of equal opportunities, specialist functional management and reward systems at all levels.