The re-emergence of police education

Abstract

In the past 25 years growing complexities of the policing landscape and emerging challenges, like technology, increased vulnerability and new crimes, mean that police officers require different skills and knowledge than previously. One way to enable this has been the increasing professionalisation of the police service including the academisation of police learning and an emphasis of developing better police knowledge informed by evidence. Increased professionalisation is viewed as one of the solutions to resolving some of the problems often associated with policing like the negative effects of police culture. The process of embedding higher education into policing has been slow, fragmented and challenging at times, and influenced by a broader set of political and external dynamics. Critics argue that policing is a more practical occupation in which the best way to develop is to learn on the job or develop craft knowledge. The intention of this article is to discuss the relationship between police and education particularly in the recent past. It will explore why higher education has become increasingly important, explore why resistance to the academisation process continues and look at the developing relationship between academia and the police. Finally, the future of higher education and policing is discussed.