Human ecology and rural policing: A grounded theoretical analysis of how personal constraints and community characteristics influence strategies of law enforcement in rural New South Wales, Australia

This research employs a grounded theoretical perspective to describe factors that affect police officers and techniques of policing in rural Australia. A random sample of rural officers in New South Wales (NSW) described local problems and the characteristics of people most likely to cause those problems. Two themes emerged. First, officers incorporated a human ecological perspective. Second, effective officers used traditional community policing. Most officers identified persistent tensions between formal expectations imposed by the police service and government agencies, and effective procedures for policing small towns. Effective policing occurred only after officers became integrated into informal community structures and exercised discretion regarding community standards.