Police and Higher Education: prospects and challenges Emma Williams, Deputy Director of the Canterbury Centre for Policing Research School of Law, Criminal Justice & Computing Canterbury Christ Church university Emma.williams@canterbury.ac.uk Police and Higher Education: prospects and challenges   Scottish International Policing Conference 2017 Policing and Professionalisation: opportunities and challenges 14th December 2017 John McIntyre Centre, University of Edinburgh

Why? Professionalisation and the role of education?

Our students, their voice and their reality of learning The link to personal achievement and a sense of professionalism……… Reinvigorated a passion for policing through learning Sense of credibility as a result of their knowledge and increased sense of professionalism BUT ability to use skills and knowledge inconsistent Higher ranks strategic roles v operational roles (distinction) ………Lead to a sense of being under valued – ‘top down’ culture reinforced The long term embedding of education / research in policing was considered aspirational and short term Both macro issues regarding austerity and organisational process were described as inhibitors to reflexivity Culture described as resistant to utilising the knowledge held by officer students Lack of receptiveness from SLT and middle management Limited / inconsistent practical support for students Norman, J & Williams, E (2017) ‘Putting Learning into Practice: Self reflections from Cops', European Police Science and Research Bulletin

Police Professionalism and the Use of Education: Contradictions

“People with education and degrees have no personality” “I don’t think there’s a facility in my job to apply knowledge back into the structure. I think if you get into a role and you’re trained in that role and you’re expected to go off and do it and if you branch out into something different, there’s no way to feed that back into the organisation” “I think a lot of it is that you’re viewed as a number and I know it’s callous, but you’re a number, you’re an officer, you’re a small wheel in a big machine and therefore what you can do, what your skills are, don’t matter”

THANKYOU FOR LISTENING. Emma Williams emma. williams@canterbury. ac THANKYOU FOR LISTENING! Emma Williams emma.williams@canterbury.ac.uk Steve Tong steve.tong@canterbury.ac.uk Twitter: @CCCUPolRes, @EmWilliamsCCCU @SteveTongCCCU CCPR Website: canterbury.ac.uk/ccpr CCCU Policing Blog: https://cccupolicingandcj.wordpress.com CCCU Policing Programme information: http://canterbury.ac.uk/policing-and-criminal-justice BSc (Hons) Policing (in-service) MSc by Research (policing) MSc Applied Police Practice PhD Policing, Criminology and Law