Policing public protests and corporate social responsibility

This paper examines the application of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) within the police service in England and Wales in the light of the recent global demonstrations witnessed through events such as the G20 protests. Following a recent published report from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in England and Wales, the police need to remain innovative in their approach to dealing with such public protests. This paper discusses the issues surrounding legitimacy of police and public protests whilst also considering the possible advantages of utilising CSR. It argues that utilising the CSR approach will lead to an increase in public confidence and provide greater resonance in attempts by the police to engage with their communities. The historical context and traditional responses from the police to protests are evaluated and the paper concludes with the premise that whilst not being a panacea for resolving each of the difficulties in providing a specialist police service, CSR offers a real and robust option that needs to be carefully considered.