Summary
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This review explores police reform measures in New South Wales, AUS from 1988 to the present. The commitment of a increasing number of officers to community policing has produced a fundamental philosophical and strategic change in the service since 1984. The Family Group Conference, in which the nature of the offense is discussed by the victim and offender rather than by the coordinating police sergeant, represents a microcosm of this. It is difficult for a conservative government to openly oppose such cost-effective community-based initiatives as the Family Group Conference. The strength of the reform culture within the police service may force the elected officials to seek more efficiency, effectiveness and positive community participation in criminal justice.
