ABSTRACT
This chapter considers methods of communicating within communities and partnerships, as well as how the police are accountable to the public they serve. These are important considerations, and are set against previous government ideas and the current government’s framework of the ‘Big Society’ as discussed in the previous chapter. Recent research by the National Policing Improvement Agency (Myhill and Beak 2008) suggests that positive perceptions of neighbourhood policing and the way the police and their partners treat and interact with local people are major factors most associated with being confident in the police. Providing a satisfactory response to the public may therefore improve their confidence in the police and their partners, while providing an unsatisfactory service and little communication in any contact may reduce public confidence and interaction. It is therefore important to understand the ideas behind engaging with and being accountable to communities if the police are to be successful in maintaining their support and tackling crime and antisocial behaviour.
