Understanding the Development of Police Specialism in England and Wales: An Exploratory Review

What is it about?

This work dives into the impact and barriers of specialism development in England and Wales. What to expect in the paper: » Insights into police officers' perceptions, including the fear of elitist attitudes and challenges linked with training availability, career development and organisational support. » A closer look at rationales for the creation and dismantling of specialist units and a discussion on how specialism for sex offences is still underdeveloped and underfunded.

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Photo by Francois Olwage on Unsplash

Photo by Francois Olwage on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This exploratory review of police specialism in England and Wales is the first since specialism’s conceptualisation changed in the 1980s when specialist branches were introduced for counterterrorism prevention and royalty protection. The need for police specialism for most crime types has also been inferred rather than measured, and its purpose has been taken for granted. As a result, police officers voiced a lack of clarity around how specialism is defined, contextualised or developed within their police force, and this is believed to have negative consequences on role and career path, contributing to fomenting unrealistic performance expectations and not addressing excessive workload appropriately. The lack of research on specialism has hindered the chances of measuring its impact but also of designing successful and validated operational frameworks implemented equally across all police forces.