Social diversity and democratic society: A study of policing.

Abstract

The area of police reform provides an avenue for examining social diversity and the democratic functioning of society. A review of primary and secondary documents on public policing and a case study on policing in Toronto highlight the challenges of diversity for police practitioners in liberal democratic society. The study assesses the new reform movement in policing in light of philosopher Iris Young's theory of citizenship. Congruence between the defining features of community policing and the culturally pluralist ideal espoused by Young highlights the potential of police reform in diverse society.