Is there ‘discretionary space’ in rank-based police constabularies for graduate constables to think critically and make autonomous decisions?

McCanney, John, Taylor, Julie ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4113-3857 and Bates, Elizabeth ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8694-8078 (2022) Is there ‘discretionary space’ in rank-based police constabularies for graduate constables to think critically and make autonomous decisions? Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles, 95 (2). pp. 314-331.

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Abstract

The Police Education and Qualification Framework (PEFQ) mandated that from 2020 police recruits must be educated to degree level. This change has generated much debate around the relationship between academia and the police. There has been less discussion about parallel organisational change. To explore the opportunities for graduate officers to find the ‘discretionary space’ to employ the skills associated with university study, 234 police constables were surveyed. Analysis revealed that officers faced barriers to decision making from bureaucratic and managerial procedures. Findings suggest that police organisations may need to make changes structurally and procedurally to benefit from a graduate workforce.

Item Type:	Article
Journal / Publication Title:	Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles
Publisher:	SAGE journals
ISSN:	0032-258X
Departments:	Institute of Business, Industry and Leadership > Policing and Criminology Institute of Health > Psychology and Psychological Therapies
Depositing User:	Christian Stretton
Date Deposited:	04 Jan 2021 15:23
Last Modified:	13 Jan 2024 13:31
URI:	https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/5862

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