People and the Police Organisation

"Diverse craftsmanship" means that Police Officers are able to properly perform their work within a diverse society. "Diversity" relates to variety and refers to the total mixture of differences between people. Such differences may be visible ones, like age, sex, skin colour, or physical impairments. But they can also be invisible, as applies to culture, sexual orientation, political beliefs, work talents, work capacity, or personality. 

A Police Officer in the Netherlands has to deal with all these differences. Diversity also applies within the police organisation. Diverse professionalism means that Police Officers are able to work together with and learn from colleagues and citizens, but also that they recognise how differences between people lead to discrimination and that they treat everyone equally.   

Our studies focus on how Police Officers deal with such differences. What should Police Officers be capable of in this connection? And how do we ensure that Police Officers feel safe within the organisation, that differences are allowed? We aim to use the knowledge we acquire to help realise the "police for everyone" objectives and to contribute to police training. 

Citizens should expect Police Officers to perform their jobs honestly and in compliance with the law. Rules and limitations help Police Officers make honest and reliable choices.  

We study what such rules and limitations mean to the Police Officers and how they impact their work. We also study how society experiences the way the police acts. We investigate the meaning of police integrity within various situations. Example research questions include: How does the Netherlands Police deal with officers who may not have performed their work in an ethically sound manner? When will the decision be made to conduct an internal investigation and what is the objective of such an investigation? What situations prejudice integrity by Police Officers? How does the Netherlands Police ensure that its officers work honestly and reliably? How do social developments impact the Netherlands Police's views on integrity?  

By conducting our studies, we aim to build up knowledge on the subject. At the same time, we act as a sparring partner, in both training and practical settings.  

Integrated lines have professionals from the research, practical, and education sectors all work together. As a centre of knowledge, we link up the research conducted by various fields of study and move towards trans-disciplinary research - research that has researchers from various fields of study work together with experts from professional practice. By sharing knowledge and research methods, all group members learn from each other, leading to new answers to research questions and creating a new field of study, focused on human individuals and the Netherlands Police. The field links up social sciences, exact sciences, and the study of law.  

The main objective of setting up this integrated line is to better match up research questions and results, allowing us to better answer important questions by the Netherlands Police on how people function within society. We cooperate with the University of Humanistic Studies and Radboud University.