Police officer perceptions about a range of changes within the police service and how these changes may be impacting on police officer lives have been studied by Bristol academics.
The research found that most police officers agree on the need for change. However, the report identifies that officers believe that any change should be made in collaboration with the police and be independent of politics.
Given the line ‘Private companies will serve their share holders not the public’ only 3.7 per cent disagreed or strongly disagreed; compared with near half (46.7pc) that strongly agreed. Police were largely but not as totally against the line ‘Some jobs that the police are currently responsible for could be carried out by private companies’. About 30 per cent disagreed or strongly disagreed; compared with about 50 per cent that agreed or strongly agreed.
When asked ‘I would consider looking for alternative employment’ only one in ten (9.1 per cent) strongly disagreed. A third or more (35.6 per cent) agreed, and 15.5 per cent strongly agreed, making about half who agreed ‘I would consider looking for alternative employment’.
Among many topics, officers discussed concerns they had about the privatisation of policing functions as well as the introduction of Police Crime Commissioners. On privatisation there was a perception that private companies were being used in some circumstances because the police no longer have the resources to be able to do everything that they used to do.
As an (unidentified) officer put it: “they [private companies] are being used because we don’t have the resilience. If we had the officers to use then undoubtedly we would be using them. We are using them because we haven’t got other options.”
Other officers spoke about how they believed that the increase in privatisation was simply related to the government’s desire to generate money from the police, something they could not achieve without pushing for expanded police privatisation. For example an officer said: “I think they want these big companies in because they make a profit and by hook or crook they will have shares somewhere in the parent company and that is what they do, line their pockets. G4S is a prime example. The police don’t make money but they are a vast organisation that you need, they are something that if you can find a way of privatising them then you will get money from it, and pure and simple they can privatise vast areas and the public have no choice but to pay for it through taxes or other means and if you have shares in it you are going to make shed loads of money.”
The researchers at the University of the West of England found that the role of the police in 2012/13 is multifaceted and reducing the role to simply that of a crime fighter is overly simplistic and potentially problematic for the police and the public as it may affect the nature of interactions between them. The report also identifies the police in Avon and Somerset have a strong sense of organisational identity. In other words, being a police officer is a fundamental part of their self concept (who they are) and what affects one officer impacts on other officers. Officers believe that goodwill is essential to the success of the police because it forms the bedrock of policing and the police service could not function without it. It also identifies that officers believe that the changes occurring to the police service will erode this goodwill.
The report identifies that officers in Avon and Somerset have a negative view of recent and proposed changes to the police service and also have negative opinions about the Winsor reviews. Issues identified of most concern for officers were changes to pensions, retirement age and privatisation, while those of comparatively less concern were fitness testing, changes to the promotion system and changes to role and skill based pay.
About the research
With the assistance of the Police Federation, Avon and Somerset Constabulary volunteered to act as the pilot force for the research project. All officers from the rank of Police Constable to Chief Inspector were emailed the questionnaire survey via their work PNN email address (a total of 3017 officers). A total of 1400 officers completed at least 98 of the 108 survey questions (a response rate of 46%) and the statistical results in this report are based on the responses from these officers as of 16:00 on 01/11/2012. Three focus groups were also conducted with officers from the Avon and Somerset Constabulary. These focus groups addressed issues raised within the survey and also examined officer’s views about being a police officer in 2012/13 and the issues which impact upon them. These focus groups were conducted by the PI at police stations or Federation buildings within the Avon and Somerset force area.
View http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/19068/1/Police%20Federation%20Pilot%20Report.pdf
Hoggett, J., Redford, P., Toher, D. and White, P. (2013) Police identity in a time of rapid organisational, social and political change: A pilot report, Avon and Somerset constabulary. Project Report. University of the West of England.
The publisher’s URL is http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/19068/
