Response officer perceptions and use of discretion in modern policing

Abstract

This research addresses the perceptions and use of discretion by modern-day response officers in the South-East of England. The duty of a police officer is to protect the public by detecting and preventing crime. The police are given powers to help proceed in this role which include the ability to exercise their professional discretion. The police are often the first contact in an incident and so they are required to make timely decisions. This study aims to understand the circumstances which influence the decision to use discretion. Gaps in research were identified through the review of current literature, leading to the creation of the main research questions: (1) What are the views of current response officers about the use of discretion? (2) How and when do the current police response officers utilise their discretion? (3) Is the use of discretion beneficial or detrimental to police response? This research adopted the theoretical framework of interactionism to both aid the understanding of the observed interactions as a sociological perspective, as well as its use as a methodological philosophy to guide the choice in research methods. Data were collected using qualitative-mixed methods: overt participant observation and semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyse both sets of data with the assistance of an analysis software, NVivo. The data identified six themes: officer understanding of discretion; circumstances which effect police decision-making; offences which police do/ do not use their discretion in; the abuse of discretion and how to minimise it; the effect discretion has on police work; and the effect discretion has on the relationship between the police and the public.

Date of Award	2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Canterbury Christ Church University