The political ideology and philosophy of increased marketization of services provided by the
public sector since the 1990s has led to confusion of roles, relationships and values in the wider
sector and, in particular, public police services in liberal democracies. Adoption of this approach
could lead to less effective provision of police services and thereby diminish community safety
and heighten citizens’ fear of crime. This paper will examine the phenomenon of ‘managerialism’
born out of the regime of ‘New Public Management’ which is still rife within operational policing
where emphasis on outputs has taken precedence over quality of service and long-held traditions
of common-sense law enforcement. The paper will discuss the implications of this phenomenon
in relation to effective governance of the public police. Prioritising performance indicators that
skew cause and effect and confuse outputs with outcomes and impact have been identified as
potential causes for concern in that they may reduce long-term law enforcement or crime prevention
benefits, lead to lower public trust and ultimately diminish police legitimacy. After identifying
the current situation in Australia relating to this occurrence, the paper will offer some suggestions
for consideration and conclusions in this debate which are globally relevant. While police forces
must maintain productive performance within quality standards of efficiency, effectiveness and
economy set inside continuous improvement of front line services, this must be delivered in a
vision complying with the rule of law, police integrity and human rights.