New project to promote diversity in policing gets green light
A new project aimed at enhancing diversity and representation within serious and organised crime (SOC) roles in policing has been awarded £139,000 funding by the Office of the Police Chief Scientific Adviser.
The 12-month initiative is a collaboration between the University of Portsmouth and the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) SOC Portfolio.
The university says it marks “a crucial step towards fostering inclusivity and equity within law enforcement”.
“In a challenging climate, the legitimacy of policing is being questioned and the need for a representative workforce has never been more pressing,” it added.
“Despite ongoing efforts to promote diversity, particularly in specialist roles tackling SOC, progress has been slow.”
According to Home Office data for 2023, ethnic minorities constitute 18.3 per cent of the UK population but only 8.1 per cent of police officers and 4.9 to 5.7 per cent of personnel in regional organised crime units.
Professor Sarah Charman, from the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Portsmouth, has more than 30 years’ experience in policing socialisation and culture research.
She says: “The lack of diversity within these roles needs attention. Our study will provide evidence-based research, supported by real stories of when inclusion and representation are achieved, when they are frustrated and why.”
The project aims to address these challenges by adopting a comprehensive approach to diversity, including both surface-level characteristics such as ethnicity and gender, as well as deep-level attributes like experience and values.
By collaborating with four police forces – Devon and Cornwall, Essex, Greater Manchester and Gwent – the project will gather data, analyse network ties, and develop innovative recruitment and retention policies to enhance representativeness within SOC policing.
Professor Charman adds: “This collaboration seeks to develop new knowledge, provide evidence of inclusivity perceptions, and explore the impact of diversity factors on successful transitions into SOC roles.
“Our goal is to create a more inclusive environment within policing, supported by tangible tools and innovations.”
Researchers say the project’s outcomes are expected to “redefine approaches to diversity and inclusion in policing, influencing behavioural, infrastructure, and public perceptions”.
By establishing a new baseline of hidden-diversity factors and implementing targeted interventions, it aims to ensure improved representation and inclusivity within SOC policing.
The project was initiated by Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Wells, from the NPCC’s SOC Portfolio. He said: “There is great work being done every day to tackle the threat of serious and organised crime. This project is about doing even better, and evolving our understanding of difference, representation and inclusion.
“We will explore the ways we are different and how those of us in positions of leadership might remove barriers and hold the door open. We will embrace surface-level difference and enrich our understanding of hidden-level diversity. This work should provide an evidence base and tools to understand people better, to achieve a more inclusive, more representative workforce.”
The researchers anticipate that the insights gained from the initiative will not only inform recruitment strategies but also contribute to broader discussions on diversity in law enforcement. Through collaboration and innovation they “aspire to create a more equitable and representative future for policing”.