Organizational change for England's police: An American perspective

This paper is a response to a recent Home Office proposal that an FBI type organization be introduced into the English police system. The paper offers a theoretical perspective as to why this idea was presented, and it is largely based on state‐centered theory. Concern over the prospects of a rise in crime is the specific catalyst that placed this on the Home Office agenda. Select aspects of organizational theory are considered in order to assess the present organizational model of English policing and to analyze the possible impact that an FBI type organization would have on the current administrative format. Finally, an alternative scheme for organizational change, which is based on regionalization, is presented in contrast to that proposed by the Home Office.

Key words:

• Police administration
• organizational change
• organizational theory
• and state‐centered theory