Policing - LAWS3006

 
Faculty: Faculty of Law
 
 
School:  Faculty of Law
 
 
Course Outline: See below
 
 
Campus: Kensington Campus
 
 
Career: Postgraduate
 
 
Units of Credit: 8
 
 
EFTSL: 0.16667 (more info)
 
 
Indicative Contact Hours per Week: 2
 
 
Fee Band: 1 (more info)
 
 
Further Information: See Class Timetable
 
 

Description


The course will focus on policing as a set of social and legal practices and institutions. It will be particularly concerned with the potential role of law in policing, both as a resource and as a regulator. Comparative material will be used, drawing out similarities and contrasts between policing in New South Wales and elsewhere. Its approach will be inter-disciplinary, drawing on my experience in researching police work in England and Australia and on a wide range of historical, socio-legal and criminological literature.


LLM Specialisation


Criminal Justice and Criminology

Recommended Prior Knowledge


Completion of Criminal Law 1 & 2.

Course Objectives


The main objective of this course is to introduce you to the rapidly developing interdisciplinary field of policing studies. While Australian policing studies are still in their infancy, a great deal of research has been produced in the UK, Canada and the US in recent years. This imbalance structures the general aims of the course:
  • To present issues and debates from the international policing literature and to relate them to local developments
  • To encourage critical thought and research on policing in AustraliA
  • To develop interdisciplinary study in criminology and socio-legal studies

Main Topics


  • Introductory issue: Policing domestic violence
  • Models of policing I: From local policing, to professional policing, to community policing
  • Models of policing II: From community policing to crime control policing & beyond
  • Plural policing
  • Policing Aboriginal Australia
  • Risk, security and policing terrorism
  • Fictional representations of policing
  • Police culture(s)
  • Law in policing
  • Stop and search
  • Police interviewing of suspects
  • Drug policing
  • Corruption and reform
  • Reform and accountability

Assessment


Class performance 10%
Research essay proposal 5%
Research essay 55%
Final exam 30%
 

Course Texts


Prescribed
The course is based on materials o be provided. However, students wishing an introduction to the subject could consult:

  • Newburn, T.(ed) (2003) Handbook of Policing (Cullompton, UK: Willan)
  • Newburn, T. (ed) (2005) Policing: Key Readings (Cullompton, UK: Willan)
Recommended
Materials will be provided.

Resources


Materials will be provided.