Understanding the nature of social embeddedness in police recruitment in England and Wales

Abstract

Recent research in England and Wales indicates that there may be a significant proportion of social embeddedness within policing recruitment. This suggests that there is a significant amount of support sought by potential recruits through their existing social networks. Existing studies have been qualitative and therefore do not assess scale. This study aims to address this research gap by gathering data from a single cohort n = 987 of police recruits in 2017. The recruit’s success was tracked throughout the process, resulting in comparative data that illustrates whether prior social contacts should be considered as a potentially causal variable in that success.