The Difficult Control of Police Activities and Behavior: The Case of the Surete du Quebec

Police, as agents of the state, affect its legitimacy through their acts & the way in which they carry them out. They enjoy considerable powers & autonomy in comparison with most public employees. During the 1990s, the Surete du Quebec experienced a number of problems of control & respon...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian journal of political science 2002-12, Vol.35 (4), p.747-770
Main Authors: Bourgault, Jacques, Gow, James Iain
Format: Article
Language:fre
Subjects:
Accountability
Government Agencies
Organizational Culture
Organizational Effectiveness
Organizational Power
Police
Public Administration
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Summary:Police, as agents of the state, affect its legitimacy through their acts & the way in which they carry them out. They enjoy considerable powers & autonomy in comparison with most public employees. During the 1990s, the Surete du Quebec experienced a number of problems of control & responsibility, not because of corruption, but because of excess zeal, irresponsibility, & sometimes incompetence. Several inquiries & studies, culminating with the massive Poitras Commission report of 1998, revealed a variety of problems, but many points in common. These studies showed that while the SQ has known familiar problems rooted in police culture & the power of the police union, a whole range of measures could be pursued by the Dept of Public Security & by the SQ to make it more open, more effective & more responsible. Several reforms, now taking place, could change the organizational culture of the Surete. Adapted from the source document.
ISSN:0008-4239