Policing, Law Enforcement and Security MSc

The aim of this module is to provide students with advanced theoretical knowledge and understanding of the key issues and debates with regards to multi-agency working. During this module, key guidance and preventive models will be discussed, which will lead to the recognition of the key issues relevant to multi-agency working. All aspects of public protection in terms of how police, law enforcement and security agencies manage investigations and reduce the risks to the individual. Focus within this module will be towards ‘safeguarding’, risk identification, concepts and evidence, which supports the protection of victims/witnesses and how offenders are managed.

The module focusses on applying key ideas and concepts relevant to multi-agency working in terms of the subject area of public protection. The module outlines key processes in criminal justice, including Multi Agency risk assessments and the planning and delivery of interventions to tackle dangerous offending.

Students will critically examine the philosophy of conducting research and the complex nature of knowledge. The concept of the research cycle will form the structure around which both quantitative and qualitative research processes, methodology and methods will be explored. A key emphasis will be on the construction of the research question or hypothesis and the consequent decisions that need to be made once this is established. Critical systematic literature reviewing will be examined in detail as will methods of information retrieval.

A wide variety of quantitative and qualitative approaches to research design, data gathering and methods of analysis will be evaluated and critiques developed. Ethical practice in conducting research will underpin the content of this module, with critical appraisal of a range of key ethical principles particularly relevant to researching policing, law enforcement and security.

This first part of this module focuses on leadership and management in policing, law enforcement and security, focusing on the legislative obligations of a series of key statutory and non-statutory agencies in the public, private and voluntary sectors. Attention will be given to geographical responsibility in policing, law enforcement and security through partnerships, which will include discussion of theories of leadership; leadership models; motivation and conflict. Furthermore, the module covers the cross and multi-agency legal framework, their individual and collective agency perspectives, interpretations, aspirations and resistance.

The second part of the module focusses on the challenges of leadership, and provides the student with a critical understanding of policing accountability and policing culture. Policing culture will be examined and how culture may impact an officer’s decision making in practice, leading to impacts on community confidence in policing. An examination of cultural and corruption theory, as well as legislative requirements and the role of the College of Policing in setting Standards. Focus will be on the Code of Ethics in policing in England and Wales and the Standards of Professional Behaviour. Accountability will be discussed and the impact of policing culture including cultural models; class contempt and Blue Code/Wall of Silence.

A skills session will be provided to students regarding the professional discussion, as well as sessions examining previous misconduct cases. These will be utilised to enable the student to contextualise the various elements of the module, critically evaluating the importance of leadership maintains the values and ethical standards set of by the College of Policing/within legislation, which should not be impacted by aspects of culture/cultural characteristics.

The aim of this module is for the student to consider the thematic development and theoretical perspectives of the nature and threat from international serious and complex organised crime and the impact it is having on 21st century society law enforcement.

Students will study the origins and evolution of Serious Organised Crime, including the key characteristics and the complexities of definition, whilst exploring the synthesis of Crime Type and Crime Groups, the impact of Human Intelligence and how the criminal use of technology is central to the threat from Serious Organised Crime. Specific emphasis will focus on the United Kingdom Serious Organised Crime Strategy and how this applies to contemporary law enforcement philosophy and practical application of investigative practices.

Students will focus on the legal, cultural, and ethical issues associated with law enforcement methodological approaches to counter and/or investigate criminal offences. A series of case studies will be utilised to enable the student to contextualise the various elements of the module into the contemporary policing landscape, considering both key theoretical and practical impacts. 

This module introduces and immerses the student in the complex world of contemporary intelligence and covert policing management and its relevance and application across the wider policing, law enforcement and security landscape. It will explore topics such as the concept of intelligence led-policing, analytical frameworks, data handling, information, intelligence and evidence and covert policing methodologies on criminal investigations. 

Students will develop skills in relation to brevity of information highlighting key elements in the use of covert intelligence gathering methods of a policing operation.  Students will take part in immersive experiences such as an intelligence cell for a counter terrorism operation managing intelligence in real time. These activities will introduce and develop teamwork and decision-making skills, together with understanding the importance of the retention, storage and dissemination of intelligence whilst also understanding cultural, legal and vulnerability issues.

This module builds on the study of Research Methods in the IP7303 module. 

Students will design, conduct and report on an area of individual research based upon an area of study relevant to policing, wider law enforcement or security, to complete their 12000-word dissertation. All studies that utilise research participants (such as interviews, questionnaires/surveys, focus groups and observations) will be required to submit a completed Ethics form for approval to the Departments Ethics Committee, prior to any engagement with the participants. Individual supervision sessions will provide guidance and support on all areas of the research process and will be intended to meet the specific needs of the individual researcher.