Understanding the policing practices associated with civil preventive orders and notices in England and Wales to regulate the conduct of society’s perceived deviant others: A systematic review

Abstract

This article aims to present the first systematic review of the current state of knowledge regarding the policing practices associated with civil preventive orders and notices within England and Wales to address sub-criminal and criminal behaviour. The updated Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) reporting criteria are used to report the process transparently. Despite 24 powers considered for inclusion, this review found limited literature, including only 13 pieces of original empirical research. These studies found significant variations in policing practice concerning the issuing process, evidential thresholds required to issue, use of informal alternatives, training provided, and breach procedures. As a result, this article offers thirteen policy, practice, and research recommendations to support the creation of best practices.