Scrutiny of Police Institutions and the Spectre of Culture

Abstract

This article revisits the concept of police culture and its explanatory value in understanding the recent scandals that have rocked policing in England and Wales. It focusses on concerns around the prevalence of sexism and violence against women and girls (VAWG) within policing and explores whether an increase in the diversity of police officers has pushed aspects of police culture into specific specialist and less visible areas of policing. The article suggests that any attempts at substantive police reform need to consider radical organisational and structural change, including a new narrative for British policing. Such a narrative needs political and social support and will require wider engagement beyond internally focussed police discussions.