Lean and Six Sigma in policing: austerity, driver or distraction?

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to widen some of the recent discussion which focusses on austerity being the driver for introducing continuous improvement (CI) methodologies, such as Lean and Six Sigma, into policing. Design/methodology/approach The authors apply over 80 years combined experience in policing and CI to analyse academic and practitioner literature to summarise the drivers for change and the progress of Lean and Six Sigma in policing and the UK Public Sector. Findings The paper concludes that there are significant gaps in the literature and while there are undoubted challenges, there are overlaps between the strategic direction of policing and the approaches of Lean and Six Sigma. Research limitations/implications There are a small but growing number of papers which evidence the applicability of Lean and Six Sigma in policing. Practical implications The paper emphasises the risks to service delivery if factors such as budget constraints are considered in isolation. The paper provides examples of opportunities which may exist in policing as well as introducing ongoing work in policing. Originality/value This paper is among the first to explore the issues of how CI methodologies fit into the strategic direction and challenges of policing services.