1st Edition

Holding the Police to Account The Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland and the Transformation of Police Oversight

280 Pages
by Routledge

280 Pages
by Routledge

This book offers the first comprehensive history of the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland (OPONI) – the only global example of a fully independent, civilian controlled model of police complaints– covering its development, outcomes, and distinctive operational role. OPONI is considered as the global ‘gold standard’ for police complaints systems in the world.  Created in... Read more

1. Introduction: Police Accountability and the Transformation of Police Oversight 2. The Evolution of the Police Complaints System in Northern Ireland 3. The Hayes Review and a New Beginning for Police Complaints 4. The Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland - A New Approach to Police Complaints 5. Accountability, Leadership, and the Battle for Independence 6. Dealing with the Past: A Troubled Legacy 7. The Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland in International Context 8. Towards the Lasting Impact of the Police Ombudsman 9. Police Accountability and Complaints as the ‘New Normal’ 10. Conclusion: Police Complaints in the Past, Present and Future

Biography

John Topping is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology at Queen’s University, Belfast. His research focuses on policing and police reform in Northern Ireland, where has spent nearly twenty years working across all policing institutions in the country in a variety of research, advisory and consultancy roles on areas such as stop and search, public order policing, police officer training, community policing and community safety.

Michel Maguire was the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland between 2012-2019.  Prior to that he was the Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice for Northern Ireland.  Michael has written extensively on police oversight issues and has contributed to a number of Royal Commissions on policing in Australia.

Tim Prenzler is a Professor of Criminology in the School of Law and Society, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia. Tim’s teaching and research areas include crime and corruption prevention, police and security officer safety, security industry regulation, gender in policing, and restorative justice.