The underplayed importance of shocks in policing studies

Roché, Sebastian and Fleming, Jenny (2025) The underplayed importance of shocks in policing studies. Policing and Society, 35 (4), 381-397. (doi:10.1080/10439463.2025.2462041).

Record type: Editorial

Abstract

Macro exogeneous shocks or disruptions (political, economic) have not received the attention they require in the study of policing and police. What happens when the police, whose primary practical and symbolic role is to define order, are operating within a society gripped by disorder? Contrary to endogenous shocks (caused by the misbehaviour of agents) which tends to have short term negative impact on trust in police, the effects of exogenous shocks (non-police origin) on trust seem to be more complex and conditional on the nature of the shock and on the attribution of blame to political authorities. In addition, during exogenous shocks decisions are made which have lasting effects in reshaping the nature of policing and the tactics of the police. The comparative analysis of shocks may make an important contribution to the study of policing as they expand the scope of research beyond the usual Anglo-Saxon sphere and highlight the importance of concepts such as critical junctures or punctuated equilibrium.

Text

CPRvol02 FINAL - Accepted Manuscript

Restricted to Repository staff only until 3 October 2026.

Available under License University of Southampton Accepted Manuscript Licence.

Request a copy