Restorative Policing

"Police are understood largely as ‘crime-fighting professionals’, yet some highly effective policing involves partnering with others to increase public safety, prevent crime, and respond to related social problems. In this engaging work Kerry Clamp and Craig Patterson explain how restorative policing can extend the earlier reforms of community- and problem-oriented policing. They offer striking examples of police working as ‘street-level leaders’, working with citizens, rather than simply doing things to and for them. The discussion extends well beyond theory and high level strategy, to the practicalities of program implementation, and an impressively accurate account of how conflict resolution processes actually work, and may help us ‘to reconnect with one another.’"

David B. Moore, Restorative Justice Pioneer, Australia

"Kerry Clamp and Craig Paterson deal in this outstanding book with "restorative policing", recognising the central role played by police in restorative justice practices and radicalising the importance of one of the most neglected aspects of community policing, more precisely the empowerment of the very same community. The new restorative police should act no longer as decision-makers, but as contributors to the construction of collective efficacy, or to the capacity of the community to solve its own problems. Restorative Policing - Concepts, Theory and Practice gives clever guidance in this endeavour. It is instructive, insightful and practical at the same time. A book that speaks clearly to a broad readership."

Paul Ponsaers, Ghent University, Belgium

"Clamp and Paterson’s inspired integration of restorative justice and policing scholarship provides both a compelling vision and a solid theoretical foundation to guide the evolution of restorative policing for generations to come. Particularly provocative is their discussion on "lengthening" the restorative policing lens, as it offers a linchpin between restorative and transformative justice with theoretical implications well beyond the topic of restorative policing."

Paul McCold, Independent Criminologist and member of the Global Steering Committee, Restorative Justice International

"Restorative policing is a new philosophy and practice of policing, which links to community policing and problem-oriented policing, but draws also upon restorative practices to provide a different way of working with local communities to solve conflicts whilst building the community. Restorative Policing draws together both theory and what has been found to be effective practice to take forward and develop what it means to police restoratively. It is a key text for both practitioners and scholars."

Joanna Shapland, Edward Bramley Professor of Criminal Justice and Director of the Centre for Criminological Research, University of Sheffield, UK