Human ecology and rural policing: A grounded theoretical analysis of how personal constraints and community characteristics influence strategies of law enforcement in rural New South Wales, Australia
Abstract
This research employs a grounded theoretical perspective to describe factors that affect police officers and techniques of policing in rural Australia. A random sample of rural officers in New South Wales (NSW) described local problems and the characteristics of people most likely to cause those problems. Two themes emerged. First, officers incorporated a human ecological perspective. Second, effective officers used traditional community policing. Most officers identified persistent tensions between formal expectations imposed by the police service and government agencies, and effective procedures for policing small towns. Effective policing occurred only after officers became integrated into informal community structures and exercised discretion regarding community standards.
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Rurality is shaped by a cultural context of familiarity and a sense of community and belonging.
“Indeed, rurality is shaped by a cultural context of familiarity (i.e., citizens know one another) and a sense of community and belonging [54,55,56].”
From Canadian Public Safety Personnel and Occupational Stressors: How PSP Interpret Stressors on Duty (2020) · cites this paper as [55]
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- Authors
- Jobes, P.
- Affiliations
- University of New England (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Jobes, Patrick
- Venue
- Police Practice and Research
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2003-03
- Volume
- 4
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 3-19
- ISSN
- 1477-271X (ISSN-L)
- 1561-4263
- OpenAlex
- W2094112763
- Cited by
- 39
- References
- 61
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 10.75
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Police Practice and Research (publishedVersion)
- EPubDev Repository (submittedVersion)
- RUNE (Research UNE) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Southern California
- University of New England
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Policing Practices and Perceptions
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Crime Patterns and Interventions
- Social Sciences › Law › Criminal Justice and Penology
- Keywords
- rural policing, human ecology, community policing, police discretion, police-community relations, small towns, police officers' perceptions, community characteristics, rural New South Wales
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