POLICE SUSPICION AND DISCRETIONARY DECISION MAKING DURING CITIZEN STOPS*

This study examines the influence of racial, demographic and situational variables on types of police suspicion and the ancillary decision to stop and question suspects. Data were drawn from an observational study of police decision making in Savannah, Georgia. Based on the literature, we hypothesized that minority suspects will be more likely to be viewed suspiciously by the police for nonbehavioral reasons. We also hypothesize that minority status will play a significant role in the decision to stop and question suspicious persons. The findings from this study provide partial support for these hypotheses. The results indicate that minority status does influence an officer's decision to form nonbehavioral as opposed to behavioral suspicion, but that minority status does not influence the decision to stop and question suspects. We discuss the implications of these findings for understanding race and its role in police decision making.     

THAT OBSCURE OBJECT OF DESIRE: BUDGETARY CONTROL IN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY

The problems of budgetary control in the EC have been assuming ever greater political importance recently. Yet behind the facade of concern is a lack of knowledge of the extent of the problem, and a seeming inability to take effective action to deal with some of the best known aspects of it. It is argued here that the achievement of budgetary control is particularly difficult in the context of the EC for a variety of reasons. Using a simple cyclical model of budgetary control, the constraints can be grouped into four main categories – conceptual, structural, operational and political. These are examined in turn drawing specific examples from community documentation. Finally, certain avenues for reform are suggested which may be implemented in the future.     

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR MANAGERS OVER 20 YEARS: A TEST OF THE ‘CONVERGENCE THESIS’

This paper sets out to test the ‘convergence thesis’ in respect of managers in the public and private sectors in Britain. New Public Management (NPM) initiatives have had the objective of making managerial behaviour in public sector organizations more similar to that in the private sector. Based on unique national surveys undertaken in 1980, 1990 and 2000, using quite large random samples of fellows and members of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), comparisons are made to investigate whether ‘convergence’ between public and private sector managers has actually occurred. The patterns are found to be complex and, although there are some signs of convergence, the two sectors continue to exhibit similarities, persistent differences and parallel movements evident in managerial attitudes, behaviour and experiences.