Purpose

This article examines challenges and strategies related to police relationships and engagement with rural communities in England and Wales, Australia and France. It aims to bridge a gap in knowledge around how police balance public demands with organisational and contextual constraints, exploring the role of communication technology in overcoming geographical and cultural barriers in rural policing.

Design/methodology/approach

The research draws upon 121 semi-structured interviews conducted across three distinct jurisdictions. In the United Kingdom and Australia, interviews were conducted via Microsoft Teams, while face-to-face interviews were conducted in France. Participants were recruited through the purposive sampling of police working in rural areas. The data were thematically analysed using NVivo Software.

Findings

Rural communities have low expectations of policing services, a consequence of geography, organisational structures and limited resource allocation. Building relationships can be challenging owing to isolation and terrain, the need for officers to have local and cultural knowledge, and difficulties in recruiting officers in rural posts. Technology-mediated communication has played a part in the solutions (e.g. social media). However, this may not always be suitable owing to limited connectivity, citizen and police preferences for communication and engagement, and the institutional and cultural nuances surrounding the application of technology.

Originality/value

This article provides empirical insights into the attitudes and experiences of rural police officers, highlighting the distinctive policing context and engagement needs of rural communities. The research underscores the necessity for contextually aware engagement. It suggests that while technology-mediated communication offers some solutions to spatial challenges, its effectiveness may be limited by access, generational preferences and the adaptability of police institutions and cultures.

中文翻译：

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警察与农村公民的关系和互动：英国、澳大利亚和法国一线警察的观点

目的

本文探讨了英格兰和威尔士、澳大利亚和法国与警察关系以及与农村社区接触相关的挑战和策略。它旨在弥合警察如何平衡公众需求与组织和环境限制的知识差距，探索通信技术在克服农村警务中地理和文化障碍方面的作用。

设计/方法论/途径

该研究基于在三个不同司法管辖区进行的 121 次半结构化访谈。在英国和澳大利亚，采访是通过 Microsoft Teams 进行的，而在法国则进行了面对面采访。参与者是通过对农村地区工作的警察进行有目的地抽样招募的。使用 NVivo 软件对数据进行主题分析。

发现

由于地理、组织结构和资源分配有限，农村社区对警务服务的期望较低。由于偏僻和地形、官员需要具备当地和文化知识以及在农村岗位招聘官员的困难，建立关系可能具有挑战性。以技术为媒介的沟通在解决方案中发挥了作用（例如社交媒体）。然而，由于连接有限、公民和警察对沟通和参与的偏好以及围绕技术应用的制度和文化细微差别，这可能并不总是合适。

原创性/价值

本文提供了对农村警察的态度和经历的实证见解，强调了农村社区独特的警务环境和参与需求。该研究强调了情境意识参与的必要性。它表明，虽然以技术为媒介的传播为空间挑战提供了一些解决方案，但其有效性可能受到准入、代际偏好以及警察机构和文化的适应性的限制。