Polizeiwissenschaft

Introduction The debate regarding police independence versus police accountability has been hotly contested since at least the 1960s.1 At the heart of the debate are questions relating to the degree and manner of oversight to which police forces should be subjected, while maintaining the independence of those polices forces to carry out their duties free from undue political (or other) interferences. This essay examines the principles underlying the “independence of the office of constable”, the