Policing Partnerships: Evidence Review

In recent decades there has been an increased drive towards partnership working, and the development of interagency relations between the police and a variety of other public, private, voluntary and non-profit agencies and organisations. Partnerships have come to be viewed as a key vehicle through which crime and disorder can be effectively tackled, at both the local and national levels, and has become a dominant theme in the rhetoric of public sector reform. Significant cuts to police budgets, as well as the broader context of the economic down-turn and growing social inequality all provide a renewed impetus to revisit these policing partnerships to explore the role of the police therein and the potential for these policing partnerships to impact on social problems in contemporary times. In this rapid evidence review we focus on four key areas of policing partnerships: (1) collaboration between police forces; (2) multi-agency partnerships involving the police; (3) partnerships between the police and private security industry; (4) collaborations between the police and academic community. Where possible this report highlights examples of good practice, as well as gaps in the research which, in conjunction, with discussions with police stakeholders have been used to formulate research priorities for the future.