Does Acpo Know Best: To What Extent May the Pip Programme Provide a Template for the Professionalisation of Policing?

Abstract

This paper uses a case study approach to examine the claim of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) that the Professionalising Investigation Project (PIP) it introduced to the police service should be considered the template for the professionalisation of policing in England and Wales. Specifically, interviews were conducted with senior police officers, including a chief officer, and a questionnaire circulated to detectives in the selected force. Whilst the results of this small-scale study may not be generalisable to the wider police service, they highlight the paucity of scholarly research on the PIP and suggest that it may not have had the impact on investigative practice that has been claimed. As much as anything, this case demonstrates the need for independent evaluation of important public sector change programmes like the PIP.