Police oversight in Ireland: who complains, who gains?
Police oversight in Ireland: who complains, who gains?
Accounts of police complainants and their experiences of oversight largely reflect North American data. This article examines how complainants fare in Ireland, where police crisis and reform have repeatedly occurred since 2005. Quantitative analysis of the independent police oversight agency’s complaint processing highlights patterns in allegations submitted, complaint-handling mechanism applied, and outcomes realised. In doing so, this article draws attention to the experiences of Irish Travellers, the homeless and prisoners. Findings show that socially marginal complainants submitted more serious allegations, secured higher investigation designations but were less likely to have complaints substantiated. Overall, substantiation was below international levels and police investigations were more likely to substantiate complaints than was the oversight agency. Consequently, the article then considers the frequent theoretical characterisation of police oversight in term of ‘justice’ or ‘agency’, arguing for inclusion of ‘agency self-interest’ by the oversight body in future research.
Ireland, complaints, oversight, police
Moss, Brian
2d1ac95e-d17d-4e4d-9067-fa96f2ef08f2
3 October 2022
Moss, Brian
2d1ac95e-d17d-4e4d-9067-fa96f2ef08f2
Abstract
Accounts of police complainants and their experiences of oversight largely reflect North American data. This article examines how complainants fare in Ireland, where police crisis and reform have repeatedly occurred since 2005. Quantitative analysis of the independent police oversight agency’s complaint processing highlights patterns in allegations submitted, complaint-handling mechanism applied, and outcomes realised. In doing so, this article draws attention to the experiences of Irish Travellers, the homeless and prisoners. Findings show that socially marginal complainants submitted more serious allegations, secured higher investigation designations but were less likely to have complaints substantiated. Overall, substantiation was below international levels and police investigations were more likely to substantiate complaints than was the oversight agency. Consequently, the article then considers the frequent theoretical characterisation of police oversight in term of ‘justice’ or ‘agency’, arguing for inclusion of ‘agency self-interest’ by the oversight body in future research.
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17488958221128932 (1)
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e-pub ahead of print date: 3 October 2022
Published date: 3 October 2022
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© The Author(s) 2022.
Keywords:
Ireland, complaints, oversight, police
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Local EPrints ID: 470674
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/470674
ISSN: 1748-8958
PURE UUID: 27b05dcb-357e-4693-8eca-0938d6e3c1b1
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Date deposited: 17 Oct 2022 17:00
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 22:23
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