Challenges and possibilities of the implementation of the policing Code of Ethics [Ref 3.02]

Academic team: Dr Anja Schaefer, Dr Owain Smolović Jones
Policing partners: Police Service of Northern Ireland
Status: Complete

With all UK police forces currently in the process of implementing a new code of ethics, there is an opportunity available to deepen understanding about the possibilities and tensions that the introduction of a code of ethics in a police force generates. The project adopted a qualitative approach to data gathering and analysis, seeking to draw out the stories and accounts of officers who have worked with and under the code of ethics in PSNI.

In adopting a qualitative approach that emphasises the narratives of serving officers, we hoped to draw attention to important identity issues related to ethics and employment in policing that are not adequately covered in the existing evidence base, which largely draws on quantitative studies that seek to measure the impact and internalisation of codes.

Outputs

TitleOutputs typeLead academicYear
Honouring the code? Exploring the ambiguities and antagonisms of ethical identitiesPaperSchaefer, A2016
Of ethos, family and bureau: accounts of a code of ethics as symbol of an organisation's political re-legitmationPaperSchaefer, A2015
Researching policing ethicsPresentationSchaefer, A2015
Bearing the burdens of the bureau: challenges and possibilities for the implementation of policing codes of ethicsPresentationSchaefer, A2015

News

Blog post - Evolving the CPRL Collaboratives: Connecting research, practice and national priorities

From October 2026, our Collaborative Research Seminar series will enter a new phase as part of the ongoing development of the Centre for Policing Research and Learning (CPRL). These Collaboratives will evolve over the summer alongside a refreshed governance structure, positioning them at the heart of how the Centre connects research, practice, and national policing priorities.

5th May 2026