Pub Date : 2022-06-12DOI: 10.1177/0032258x221107586
R. Heaton, S. Tong
This article assesses police lesson learning in the context of complaints. First, it discusses their incidence and accounts of complainants’ and officers' perspectives. The genesis of ‘lesson learning’ and the provisions of the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020 are summarised. Finally, it considers the extent to which the system is likely to replace ‘blame’ with ‘lesson learning’, taking account of psychological effects such as cognitive dissonance. The conclusions are drawn that whilst emphasis on lesson learning is welcome, its application requires an improvement-focussed approach requiring investment in training to reach its potential. The effect on police risk aversion will probably be modest.
{"title":"More lesson learning, less risk aversion in England and Wales? Prospects for the police (conduct) regulations 2020","authors":"R. Heaton, S. Tong","doi":"10.1177/0032258x221107586","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0032258x221107586","url":null,"abstract":"This article assesses police lesson learning in the context of complaints. First, it discusses their incidence and accounts of complainants’ and officers' perspectives. The genesis of ‘lesson learning’ and the provisions of the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020 are summarised. Finally, it considers the extent to which the system is likely to replace ‘blame’ with ‘lesson learning’, taking account of psychological effects such as cognitive dissonance. The conclusions are drawn that whilst emphasis on lesson learning is welcome, its application requires an improvement-focussed approach requiring investment in training to reach its potential. The effect on police risk aversion will probably be modest.","PeriodicalId":22939,"journal":{"name":"The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles","volume":"137 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89020878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-03-01DOI: 10.1177/0032258X211073003
Rebecca Phythian, Nathan Birdsall, S. Kirby, Emily Cooper, Zoe Posner, L. Boulton
Policing demands are widely acknowledged to negatively impact on the physical and mental health of police officers and staff. Research has documented the need for greater insight into the stressors and trauma that impact police officers, with a current national drive towards enhancing the police wellbeing agenda: namely, Oscar Kilo and the National Wellbeing Service. To understand the current wellbeing strategies in place, 34 Blue Light Wellbeing Frameworks were analysed. A mixed methods approach was adopted: quantitative data was descriptively examined, with thematic analyses employed to explore the qualitative data. Findings from the review highlight developments in police wellbeing, as well as areas for future development.
{"title":"Developments in UK police wellbeing: A review of blue light wellbeing frameworks","authors":"Rebecca Phythian, Nathan Birdsall, S. Kirby, Emily Cooper, Zoe Posner, L. Boulton","doi":"10.1177/0032258X211073003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X211073003","url":null,"abstract":"Policing demands are widely acknowledged to negatively impact on the physical and mental health of police officers and staff. Research has documented the need for greater insight into the stressors and trauma that impact police officers, with a current national drive towards enhancing the police wellbeing agenda: namely, Oscar Kilo and the National Wellbeing Service. To understand the current wellbeing strategies in place, 34 Blue Light Wellbeing Frameworks were analysed. A mixed methods approach was adopted: quantitative data was descriptively examined, with thematic analyses employed to explore the qualitative data. Findings from the review highlight developments in police wellbeing, as well as areas for future development.","PeriodicalId":22939,"journal":{"name":"The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles","volume":"1 1","pages":"24 - 49"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75164851","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-12-28DOI: 10.1177/0032258X211043331
Mark Doyle, Kit Tapson, Vasileios Karagiannopoulos, Peter Lee
Little is known about how the effects of moral injury and trauma manifest amongst police Internet Child Abuse Teams. This article reports on the impacts of organisational role and environmental factors on moral injury and trauma amongst this population. Six participants were recruited from two police constabularies in the United Kingdom. Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Findings indicated that the participants’ moral injury and trauma were predominantly attributable to excessive workloads and stigma in relation to mental health within policing. Generic psychological interventions were insufficiently responsive to the complex needs of the police investigators.
{"title":"Impacts of organisational role and environmental factors on moral injury and trauma amongst police investigators in Internet Child Abuse Teams","authors":"Mark Doyle, Kit Tapson, Vasileios Karagiannopoulos, Peter Lee","doi":"10.1177/0032258X211043331","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X211043331","url":null,"abstract":"Little is known about how the effects of moral injury and trauma manifest amongst police Internet Child Abuse Teams. This article reports on the impacts of organisational role and environmental factors on moral injury and trauma amongst this population. Six participants were recruited from two police constabularies in the United Kingdom. Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Findings indicated that the participants’ moral injury and trauma were predominantly attributable to excessive workloads and stigma in relation to mental health within policing. Generic psychological interventions were insufficiently responsive to the complex needs of the police investigators.","PeriodicalId":22939,"journal":{"name":"The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles","volume":"76 1","pages":"153 - 171"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78612841","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-11-03DOI: 10.1177/0032258X211049009
S. Bell, Sue Palmer-Conn, Nick Kealey
Policing can be injurious to the mental health of those delivering the service. The causes can be operational, organisational or a mixture of both. Mental health related stigma is prevalent within policing; thus, help seeking is avoided. Those who do seek help are often thought to be malingerers. Managers are considered to be ill equipped to identify and support those at risk. The processes and policies that are meant to support recovery do not meet the needs of the officers and staff living and working with mental ill health. Consequently, disclosing a mental health issue is seen as career destroying.
{"title":"‘Swinging the lead and working the head’ – An explanation as to why mental illness stigma is prevalent in policing","authors":"S. Bell, Sue Palmer-Conn, Nick Kealey","doi":"10.1177/0032258X211049009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X211049009","url":null,"abstract":"Policing can be injurious to the mental health of those delivering the service. The causes can be operational, organisational or a mixture of both. Mental health related stigma is prevalent within policing; thus, help seeking is avoided. Those who do seek help are often thought to be malingerers. Managers are considered to be ill equipped to identify and support those at risk. The processes and policies that are meant to support recovery do not meet the needs of the officers and staff living and working with mental ill health. Consequently, disclosing a mental health issue is seen as career destroying.","PeriodicalId":22939,"journal":{"name":"The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles","volume":"65 1","pages":"4 - 23"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74061672","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-26DOI: 10.1177/0032258X211052250
Rebecca Phythian, Nathan Birdsall, S. Kirby, Emily Cooper, Zoe Posner, L. Boulton
Individual and organisational factors have been identified as influencing personal wellbeing, with an emphasis placed on the organisation and management to support their staff. Whilst various policies, interventions and campaigns are in place at national and local level, it is unclear how well individual and organisational perspectives of wellbeing are aligned. This study seeks to address this through the analysis of secondary data provided by Oscar Kilo in 2018: Blue Light Wellbeing Frameworks (organisational perspective) and Human Resources policy review survey data (individual perspective). Whilst findings indicate positive steps to enhancing police wellbeing, a disconnect between the organisation and employees was apparent.
{"title":"Organisational and individual perspectives of police wellbeing in England and Wales","authors":"Rebecca Phythian, Nathan Birdsall, S. Kirby, Emily Cooper, Zoe Posner, L. Boulton","doi":"10.1177/0032258X211052250","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X211052250","url":null,"abstract":"Individual and organisational factors have been identified as influencing personal wellbeing, with an emphasis placed on the organisation and management to support their staff. Whilst various policies, interventions and campaigns are in place at national and local level, it is unclear how well individual and organisational perspectives of wellbeing are aligned. This study seeks to address this through the analysis of secondary data provided by Oscar Kilo in 2018: Blue Light Wellbeing Frameworks (organisational perspective) and Human Resources policy review survey data (individual perspective). Whilst findings indicate positive steps to enhancing police wellbeing, a disconnect between the organisation and employees was apparent.","PeriodicalId":22939,"journal":{"name":"The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles","volume":"83 1 1","pages":"128 - 152"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79659885","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-26DOI: 10.1177/0032258X211052891
Jennifer Brown, J. Fleming
An online survey (N = 2063) of women working either as police officers or non-sworn/warranted police staff addressed personal well-being and work-related factors during the first COVID lockdown in the United Kingdom from March to August 2020. Overall, 59% of all respondents reported being more stressed during the lockdown than they had been previously. A key factor in stress levels was the respondents’ organisational support measured by a computed index of trust, communication, and support (TCS). Those respondents having a positive orientation towards TCS were less stressed than those whose orientation was more negative. Findings differentiated the experience of respondents typed as front-line police officers, front-line police staff, police officers serving in support functions and police staff in support functions. Innovative COVID-19 working arrangements are highlighted as beneficial new practices worth retaining.
{"title":"Exploration of individual and work-related impacts on police officers and police staff working in support or front-line roles during the UK’s first COVID lockdown","authors":"Jennifer Brown, J. Fleming","doi":"10.1177/0032258X211052891","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X211052891","url":null,"abstract":"An online survey (N = 2063) of women working either as police officers or non-sworn/warranted police staff addressed personal well-being and work-related factors during the first COVID lockdown in the United Kingdom from March to August 2020. Overall, 59% of all respondents reported being more stressed during the lockdown than they had been previously. A key factor in stress levels was the respondents’ organisational support measured by a computed index of trust, communication, and support (TCS). Those respondents having a positive orientation towards TCS were less stressed than those whose orientation was more negative. Findings differentiated the experience of respondents typed as front-line police officers, front-line police staff, police officers serving in support functions and police staff in support functions. Innovative COVID-19 working arrangements are highlighted as beneficial new practices worth retaining.","PeriodicalId":22939,"journal":{"name":"The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles","volume":"40 1","pages":"50 - 72"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81559550","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-25DOI: 10.1177/0032258X211052900
Clara Galiano López, Jane Hunter, Toby P Davies, A. Sidebottom
This study examines the extent and time course of repeat missing incidents involving children. Using data from one UK police force (n = 2,251), we find (1) that the majority (65%) of missing incidents are repeats, (2) that a small group of repeatedly missing children (n = 43; 6%) account for a sizable proportion of all missing incidents (n=739, 33%) and (3) that the likelihood of a child going missing repeatedly is elevated in the weeks immediately following a previous missing incident. The implications of our findings for future research and for the prevention of missing incidents are discussed.
{"title":"Further evidence on the extent and time course of repeat missing incidents involving children: A research note","authors":"Clara Galiano López, Jane Hunter, Toby P Davies, A. Sidebottom","doi":"10.1177/0032258X211052900","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X211052900","url":null,"abstract":"This study examines the extent and time course of repeat missing incidents involving children. Using data from one UK police force (n = 2,251), we find (1) that the majority (65%) of missing incidents are repeats, (2) that a small group of repeatedly missing children (n = 43; 6%) account for a sizable proportion of all missing incidents (n=739, 33%) and (3) that the likelihood of a child going missing repeatedly is elevated in the weeks immediately following a previous missing incident. The implications of our findings for future research and for the prevention of missing incidents are discussed.","PeriodicalId":22939,"journal":{"name":"The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles","volume":"28 1","pages":"117 - 127"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91258459","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-20DOI: 10.1177/0032258X211049335
Ashley Cartwright, J. Roach
Research pertaining to the wellbeing of police focuses on the job at a macro level, neglecting that policing is an occupation made up of thousands of roles. The needs of staff in various roles differs according to the situations that they are exposed to. This paper provides a review of the literature pertaining to the impact of criminal investigation on employees’ wellbeing. Three discernible categories regarding the wellbeing of criminal investigators are revealed and the paper demonstrates that criminal investigation has a negative effect on the wellbeing of staff. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research, training and support.
{"title":"A price paid? A review of the research on the impact of investigating serious crime on the wellbeing of police staff","authors":"Ashley Cartwright, J. Roach","doi":"10.1177/0032258X211049335","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X211049335","url":null,"abstract":"Research pertaining to the wellbeing of police focuses on the job at a macro level, neglecting that policing is an occupation made up of thousands of roles. The needs of staff in various roles differs according to the situations that they are exposed to. This paper provides a review of the literature pertaining to the impact of criminal investigation on employees’ wellbeing. Three discernible categories regarding the wellbeing of criminal investigators are revealed and the paper demonstrates that criminal investigation has a negative effect on the wellbeing of staff. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research, training and support.","PeriodicalId":22939,"journal":{"name":"The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles","volume":"146 3","pages":"109 - 126"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91459670","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-09-26DOI: 10.1177/0032258X211044135
Paul L. Taylor, P. Sipe, Lon Bartel
The research described in this article tested the perception-response times for experienced police officers to transition from a firearm to a TASER and from a TASER to a firearm. The theoretical models and police training on use of force have largely ignored the temporal space between force modalities. Escalating through force modalities has by default been treated as equivalent, in task and timing, to deescalating through force modalities. This study employed a randomized controlled experiment using a police firearms training simulator and 139 active law enforcement officers. The average perception-response time for transition from a TASER to a firearm was 2.49 seconds for experienced police officers in response to an anticipated visual stimulus in a laboratory setting. The average perception-response time for transition from a firearm to a TASER was 4.7 seconds for experienced police officers in a response to an anticipated visual stimulus in a laboratory setting. 70% of the officers that participated in the study had never participated in department training that required them to transition between a firearm and a TASER. The findings demonstrate that moving from TASER to firearm and from firearm to TASER are not equivalent tasks. In the case of firearms and TASERs, it is significantly faster to move up the force continuum—from TASER to firearm—than it is to move down the force continuum. This research has implications for police training, tactics, policy, research, and post hoc investigations involving the use or potential use of force.
{"title":"Lost in transition: The effects of transitioning between firearms and electronic control devices (ECDs) on perception-response times (PRTs)","authors":"Paul L. Taylor, P. Sipe, Lon Bartel","doi":"10.1177/0032258X211044135","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X211044135","url":null,"abstract":"The research described in this article tested the perception-response times for experienced police officers to transition from a firearm to a TASER and from a TASER to a firearm. The theoretical models and police training on use of force have largely ignored the temporal space between force modalities. Escalating through force modalities has by default been treated as equivalent, in task and timing, to deescalating through force modalities. This study employed a randomized controlled experiment using a police firearms training simulator and 139 active law enforcement officers. The average perception-response time for transition from a TASER to a firearm was 2.49 seconds for experienced police officers in response to an anticipated visual stimulus in a laboratory setting. The average perception-response time for transition from a firearm to a TASER was 4.7 seconds for experienced police officers in a response to an anticipated visual stimulus in a laboratory setting. 70% of the officers that participated in the study had never participated in department training that required them to transition between a firearm and a TASER. The findings demonstrate that moving from TASER to firearm and from firearm to TASER are not equivalent tasks. In the case of firearms and TASERs, it is significantly faster to move up the force continuum—from TASER to firearm—than it is to move down the force continuum. This research has implications for police training, tactics, policy, research, and post hoc investigations involving the use or potential use of force.","PeriodicalId":22939,"journal":{"name":"The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles","volume":"31 1","pages":"103 - 116"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80057139","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}