Changing police culture

Figure 9: Confidence in local police, police visibility (ONS, 2020), and police officers and PCSOs in ‘Neighbourhood Policing’ roles (years ending March 2008 to March 2020).

Source: Office for National Statistics, 2020.

The actions of a small number of officers who fail to meet the standards of service expected of the police can seriously undermine public trust in policing as a whole. There has been pressure to reform the system, to end the misogynistic culture, and to take a more proactive approach when it comes to reporting inappropriate behaviour in the workplace. Police culture is frequently action-oriented and dismissive of soft skills such as listening and explaining decisions,127, 128 and police organisations would benefit from devoting more time to instilling such skills in their workforce.