Policing the ‘Middle of Nowhere’: Officer Working Strategies in Isolated Communities

Abstract

Abstract Thousands of isolated communities across the globe are policed by officers who confront the challenges posed by distinctive geographic and environmental conditions, and many serve in places with a high proportion of economically and politically marginalized peoples in the population. This study reports the results of a survey soliciting the perceptions of 827 Canadian officers working in Indigenous communities; 260 of whom were deployed in isolated locations. Comparison of their responses using t-tests reveal that officers working in isolated communities confront a greater volume and seriousness of crime, and higher levels of social problems contrasted against their counterparts policing non-isolated communities. The results show that officers working in these locations develop a style of policing that is responsive to the characteristics of these places. Considering the perceptions of officers serving in isolated communities is an important step to consider when developing a list of best policing practices that are responsive to the needs of these places, regardless of where in the world they are located.