Effective Officer and Good Neighbour: Problems and perceptions among police in rural Australia

Abstract

This paper analyses the complex relationship between rural social structure and law enforcement. It examines perceptions regarding effective policing and levels of local crime among a selected sample of police officers in rural New South Wales, Australia. Rural officers were oriented toward practical community policing by being sensitive to expectations their communities have about providing service and maintaining order in addition to enforcing the law. Officers with accurate perceptions about local levels of crime liked their communities and said that accommodating to the community, being a good listener and treating the placement as a 24 hour job, were essential for being an effective police officer. Lower ranking, recently assigned and younger officers more accurately estimated local crime levels. Contrary to earlier research in selected high-crime rural Australian communities, most of these respondents liked their placements. Many seemed sensitive to avoiding urban police culture, at least during the earlier phases of their careers.