Intersectoral Police Collaboration: An Exploratory View from the States

Abstract

Modern policing in the United States is best conceived as a joint undertaking between public and private sectors. Over the last several decades there has been a gradual movement away from monopolistic state provision of police services toward a greater reliance on the private sector for protection and security. While the current activities of public and private police are well chronicled in the research literature, little is actually known about the coordination of policing activities across sectors. The purpose of this article is to describe the range of public-private police partnerships that have developed recently in the United States.

Keywords:

• police-private sector partnerships
• intersectoral collaboration
• police management

Notes

1. The ratio of sworn police personnel per population continues to decline and now stands at 2.3 officers per 1,000 civilians (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2006).

2. Representatives from the following law enforcement agencies were consulted for this investigation: Wake Forest, NC Police Department, Myrtle Beach, SC Police Department, Durham, NC Police Department, Wilson, NC Police Department, Prince William County,VA Police Department, Norfolk, VA Police Department, Greensboro, NC Police Department, North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement Division, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Newport News, VA Police Department, Kill Devil Hills, NC Police Department, Nags Head, NC Police Department and North Carolina State Highway Patrol.

3. Most police administrators when first queried about public-private partnerships expressed unfamiliarity with the concept. As such, a non-random sample of students in a police leadership program was used to allow for a detailed discussion between researcher and survey respondent on the topic. This give-and-take approach allowed researchers to gain a richer understanding of the history and rationales supporting the collaborative initiatives.