New research highlights a shared vision for policing

New research from the ESRC Vulnerability & Policing Futures Research Centre reveals striking alignment between what the public want from policing and the service police officers themselves aspire to deliver. However, structural pressures and organisational barriers are making it difficult for this shared vision to be delivered in practice.

The study is based on focus groups with frontline officers and senior police leaders in four police force areas across England and Wales. It builds on earlier work with members of the public and a national survey. Together, this previous research helped outline a “minimum policing standard” – a set of functions police should always be able to provide and the conduct they should adhere to.

Across all focus groups with the public, officers and senior leaders, there is strong agreement on the core elements of good local policing. These shared priorities include:

• appropriate response, e.g. fast and proportionate response and equal service across groups
• behaviour and treatment, e.g. treating the public with fairness and respect and behaving professionally
• presence and engagement, e.g. greater community police presence and a local community police officer

There is also a shared recognition that these are not being delivered consistently.

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