The Police: Means Ends and the Rule of Law: A Marxist-Gramscian Challenge of Class, Agency, Corruption and Reform in 'Progressive' Analyses of Policing

This work about policing institutions uses the works of Marx, Engels and Gramsci. The work argues that achieving a new common sense and a new social order requires the development of a counter hegemony. This requires a consciousness that develops organically from within the working class. In this process 'progressive' intellectuals, journalists and politicians act as 'subalterns' of the state by creating a 'moral panic' regarding corruption within policing institutions. Subsequently the wider spread of corruption within criminal justice systems is ignored. Operational police are presented as class enemies and denied membership of their class. Critics argue the discretionary edge of the 'Rule of Law' should be applied to the policed. Yet the enforcement aspects should govern any policing of the police. Subsequently the deep seated structural and alienating factors that cause resistance, misconduct and corruption amongst rank and file police are ignored. Whilst accountability is reduced to neo-liberal reform concepts of agency, choice and individual responsibility.