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The right to unionise, the right to bargain, and the right to democratic policing

Version 2 2025-01-15, 00:54
Version 1 2023-05-16, 19:22
journal contribution
posted on 2025-01-15, 00:54 authored by M Marks, J Fleming
This (normative) article explores the importance of police unions in the quest for democratic policing. The authors argue that if we are to expect police to behave democratically, it is important for police themselves to experience democratic engagement within the organizations in which they work. That is, if police are expected to defend democracy, they should not be denied basic emocratic rights such as the right to collective bargaining and the rights such as freedom of association. The authors contend that police unions, through networking with other social justice groupings and through encouraging democratic practice, constitute a real forum for the promotion of democratic policing. For this potential to be reached, however, police unions need to identify with broader labor movement trends toward community unionism.

History

Publication title

American Academy of Political and Social Science. Annals

Volume

605

Issue

1

Pagination

178-199

ISSN

0002-7162

Department/School

Office of the School of Social Sciences

Publisher

Sage Publications, Inc.

Publication status

  • Published

Place of publication

United States

Rights statement

© 2006 American Academy of Political and Social Science.

Socio-economic Objectives

230404 Law enforcement

UN Sustainable Development Goals

16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions