Community policing and recovery: a case study following a mass shooting in the UK

Abstract

This article draws upon research conducted as part of an officially sponsored evaluation into one part of a recovery programme, put in place following a mass shooting event in the Plymouth city district of Keyham, in the UK, in the summer of 2021. It discusses the contribution made by a dedicated community policing team, focusing on its reception by the local community and aspects of its constitution and operational practices that may be regarded as critical success factors. More critically, the article questions whether this part of the recovery programme was as much about the recovery of the reputation and standing of the local police as it was about the recovery of a putative vulnerable community.