FORWARD THINKING
the way down to what student officers are doing; everyone needs to understand what the principles are for evidence-based policing and how we can apply that. “Therefore, for me, behavioural science is just another element of evidence-based policing. How are we going to work out what works? How are we going to capture that information and disseminate that so we can share that knowledge across Thames Valley? “For that reason, we have linked in with the College of Policing and I have got some support from the Behavioural Insights team.” The response so far has been
overwhelmingly positive, with rank-and- file officers in Thames Valley generally welcoming the move and identifying the implementation of the unit as a clear indication of the force supporting them. Supt Parker said:
“The overall objective is to really focus on our frontline staff. In Thames Valley – and I think it is across the board nationally –
should ensure the unit’s success. “It all comes down to what we are asking of the people we are employing,” she said. “My role is to manage this and to hopefully see them getting the information we need to get connected with the workforce. To go out conducting pilots and start chipping away at some of those continual issues that we are facing and to try and design different techniques.
“It can even be as basic as the simple things like saying ‘thank you’ and using that as a way of encouraging people. I know we all think we always do, but actually is a ‘thank you’ from a senior leader being listened to in the right way by someone who is doing the job? “So, understanding our behaviour as a senior leader, and how that influences
Supt Parker. “The Behavioural Science Unit is going to be something different, where we are looking to support our staff, and understand how they are working to see if we can improve things, designing issues out without it being performance-driven. “I have a board of critical friends who
“I want to make sure they have the tools,
knowledge and confidence to do their job to the best of their ability, with a support mechanism in place they truly trust”
they are feeling the most pressure, the most demand and so giving them that additional support, where we can use different techniques to help them make better decisions at time-critical points, is a huge step forward. “I want to be able to make sure they have
the tools, the knowledge, everything, so they have the confidence to go out and do their job to the best of their ability, with a support mechanism in place they truly trust and feel supported by.”
There is the hope that forces elsewhere in the country will be able to follow in the footsteps of a successful model. Leading a pioneering unit is likely to come with a certain amount of pressure, but Supt Parker is reassured by the groundwork being carried out now, which
those who are at the at the end of those messages is a part of this process as well. “It might be about putting those nudges in place at the right time. For example, we have had to move to using our body-worn videos all the time – apart from certain circumstances – so we have used stickers in the right place, so people have that message and think ‘yeah, I’ve got to turn on my body worn’.”
As with any new policing unit or venture
in today’s social media-moderated world, there will undoubtedly be pockets of criticism from within and outside policing. “Essentially, we have our own way of
managing performance and trying to see how we can do better with certain types of crime, certain complexities that Thames Valley Police are focusing on,” explained
are going to come together around the organisation so we can discuss how to maximise the opportunity to be as innovative as possible, to be as supportive as possible and to make the biggest impact. If we can do this right, then I think others can learn from that and hopefully we can build a different evidence base for national policing and make a bit of a difference.” Supt Parker hopes the unit will have an instant impact; but what will long-term success look like, and how will it be measured?
“I would like to think we are trailblazing because I cannot find anything like this else
going on elsewhere. “But this is not going to be us going along and giving more presentations. This will be about fieldwork, engaging with staff, observing to see how things are working and then deciding if these new techniques around behaviour are making a difference. “Everyone will have a part to play within this but hopefully the effect will be that when we leave the backyard, everyone will be better equipped to help the public. “I know that frontline cops just want
to get on with their jobs so when they start to see things changing and they say, ‘oh this is actually working’, that will be success for me.”
This article first appeared on
www.policinginsight.com
17 | POLICE | DECEMBER 2022
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
