Embedding partnership policing: what we've learned from the Nexus policing project

Abstract

Whilst the principles of ‘partnership policing’ are commonly espoused, the associated challenges of capability formation, cultural change, and re‐shaping modes of accountability within police organisations continue to hinder sustainability efforts. This paper tells the story of what we have learned, through a program titled ‘Nexus Policing,’ about the requirements for embedding new thinking and practice across ranks and units of a police organisation. The development and implementation of Nexus – managed by Victoria Police and the Australian National University – is examined in the context of an organisational shift from a ‘programmatic‐’ to a ‘principles‐based’ approach to service delivery and partnerships.