Working with Others To Build Cooperation, Confidence and Trust

Abstract

Working with others—government agencies, the commercial and not for profit sector, or voluntary groups—has become a common feature of contemporary policing rhetoric. Partnerships have increasingly become a regular theme in policy documents and in some cases this translates into policing legislation. This paper investigates the development of partnerships between agencies including the police through a study of an emerging network of service delivery. Focusing on the development of a network responding to problems on an Australian inner suburban public housing estate, it discusses how police work 'more' or 'less' effectively in this context—identifying factors that impact on their ability to develop strong channels of communication, opportunities for cooperation, and relationships of trust.