3.04 Ethical practice in policing

Academic team: Dr Anja Schaefer, Dr Owain Smolović Jones, Dr Diana Miranda, Ben Hargreaves
Policing partners: Lancashire Police, Metropolitan Police Service and Gwent Police
Status: Complete

An increased focus on ethics, including the introduction of the unified Code of Ethics, has been one response to the high level of political and media scrutiny of police conduct. This project builds on previous research conducted by the Centre for Policing Research and Learning and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the latter having implemented a code of ethics as part of the Northern Ireland peace process.

The aim of the research was to consider the newer context and practices of the Code of Ethics in English and Welsh police forces. The 12-month, in-depth, qualitative action-research project looked at:

  • police professionals’ construction of their professional and moral identities,
  • their engagement with codes of ethics and how this relates to their professional identity and their practice
  • the work of professional standards teams in ethical conduct by police officers and staff

Outputs

TitleOutput typeLead academicYear
Honouring the codeResearch paperSchaefer, Smolovic-Jones, Miranda2017
Ethical practice in policingFinal reportSchaefer, Smolovic-Jones, Miranda2017
Challenged bodies: identities at the front lineResearch paperSchaefer, Smolovic-Jones, Miranda2017

News

Welcome Clifford as our new policing professor

Our new Professor of Policing and Research, whose role includes becoming Academic Director of our Centre for Policing Research and Learning (CPRL), is Clifford Stott MBE.


As the Centre’s lead, a significant part of his role will be working with academics across and beyond the Faculty, as well as CPRL’s police force partners, to generate research and learning relevant to theory, policy and practice.

2nd March 2026
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