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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 8:50 pm
Time: 8:50 pm
Results for police officers (u.k.)
1 results foundAuthor: Hoggett, J. , Redford, P. , Toher, D. and White, P. Title: Police identity in a time of rapid organizational, social and political change: A pilot report, Avon and Somerset constabulary Summary: This project was developed by a research team at the University of the West of England (UWE) under the direction of the Principal Investigator (PI) Dr. James Hoggett. Dr Hoggett initially approached the Constables Central Committee (CCC) of the Police Federation in November 2011 to discuss the possibility of developing a project to look at police officer perceptions about a range of changes occurring within the police service and how these changes may be impacting on police officers lives. The Constables Central Committee agreed to help facilitate the research project. In May 2012 the PI attended the annual Police Federation conference in Bournemouth to conduct focus groups with officers to enable the identification of the issues and changes that matter most to the police. These focus groups formed the basis for the development of a questionnaire survey which was constructed using the online survey software package Qualtrics in collaboration with Drs Redford, Toher and White of the University of the West of England, Bristol. A draft of the questionnaire was reviewed by members of the CCC who agreed to its format and content. With the assistance of the CCC, Avon and Somerset Constabulary volunteered to act as the pilot force for the research project. All officers from the rank of Police Constable to Chief Inspector were emailed the questionnaire survey via their work PNN email address (a total of 3017 officers). A total of 1400 officers completed at least 98 of the 108 survey questions (a response rate of 46%) and the statistical results in this report are based on the responses from these officers as of 16:00 on 01/11/2012. Three focus groups were also conducted with officers from the Avon and Somerset Constabulary. These focus groups addressed issues raised within the survey and also examined officer’s views about being a police officer in 2012/13 and the issues which impact upon them. These focus groups were conducted by the PI at police stations or Federation buildings within the Avon and Somerset force area. A number of key themes were identified from the questionnaire survey and focus group analysis which form the basis of this report. In summary, these themes are that the role of the police in 2012/13 is multifaceted and reducing the role to simply that of a crime fighter is overly simplistic and potentially problematic for the police and the public as it may affect the nature of interactions between them. The report also identifies the police in Avon and Somerset have a strong sense of organisational identity. In other words, being a police officer is a fundamental part of their self concept (who they are) and what affects one officer impacts on other officers. In relation to the current social, economic and political changes impacting upon the police service a number of themes were identified, ranging from issues about the government and the Winsor reviews in general to more specific issues of pensions, retirement and redundancy, fitness testing, direct entry and educational requirements, privatisation and police and crime commissioners. The report identifies that officers in Avon and Somerset have a negative view of recent and proposed changes to the police service and also have negative opinions about the Winsor reviews. Issues identified of most concern for officers were changes to pensions, retirement age and privatisation, while those of comparatively less concern were fitness testing, changes to the promotion system and changes to role and skill based pay. The report also illustrates that police officers are not against the idea of the need for change and reform in the police service in general. However, the report identifies that officers believe that any change processes should be made in collaboration with the police and be independent of politics. The report highlights that officers believe that issues of police morale, the sacrifices made to be officers and the goodwill of the police are vitally important to the police service. The report identifies that current police morale is low at both an individual and organisational level. In other words, officers believe that their own morale and that of their colleagues is low. The report also illustrates the sacrifices officers believe they make to be in the police service. For example, the negative impact that it has on their life when they are not at work and the impact that it has on the lives of their family and identifies that a majority of officers no longer believe that the sacrifices they make for the job are worth it. The report shows that officers believe that goodwill is essential to the success of the police because it forms the bedrock of policing and the police service could not function without it. It also identifies that officers believe that the changes occurring to the police service will erode this goodwill. Despite this concern the research identifies that goodwill is still present within Avon and Somerset constabulary and that it is linked to officers unifying sense of police identity. The final part of the report identifies that officers are concerned about the future of the police service, particularly in terms of the uncertainties they face and the lack of support they feel they are receiving at a local and national level from senior management. Moreover, the report identifies that officers suggest that this uncertainty is leading them to consider whether alternative forms of employment would be better for them and their families’. Details: Bristol, UK: University of the West of England, 2013. 63p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 1, 2013 at: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/19068/1/Police%20Federation%20Pilot%20Report.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/19068/1/Police%20Federation%20Pilot%20Report.pdf Shelf Number: 127754 Keywords: Police Officers (U.K.)Police Policies and PracticesPolice-Community Relations |