COMPOSITE

COmparative POlice Studies In The Eu

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Police forces in the EU face serious challenges. Integration in the EU has increased the need for cross force collaboration. Technology has created new capabilities for criminals but also possibilities for the police. Changes in the public opinion and in political expectations have created extra challenges. Responses to these challenges and exploitation of opportunities require major changes to the culture and structure of police forces, but these are far from trivial and how they need to be implemented differs from one country to another. So far, change management in police organizations has not been addressed in a comparative interdisciplinary study with a European scope. Based on a study of police forces in 10 countries across Europe COMPOSITE will improve the planning and execution of change initiatives in the police, show how these projects can be better aligned with the cultural and societal context per country and explain how the negative process effects can be mitigated. A further aim is to improve both the individual police organization per country and joint European capabilities. The project delivers: 1.A comparative strategic analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for police organizations in 10 European countries and best practices to meet current and future challenges. 2.A comparative analysis of planning and execution of the change processes, focusing on the impact of leadership, professional and organizational identities and societal expectations. 3.A toolbox containing instruments for training and consultancy and the Annual European Police force monitor to plan and execute changes responding to known and yet unknown challenges and opportunities. The consortium contains universities, business schools, police academies, a technological research institute and consultancy firms. Police forces from the 10 countries are involved in the research and the dissemination phase of the project and they intend to use the results.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

An EU team studied change, identity and leadership of policing in Europe. Interviews and surveys from 10 countries with more than 10.000 police officers, representatives of the public and the media provided insights into the factors that shape change effectiveness in police organizations; the project also documented case studies and best practices.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Policing in the 21st century brings new challenges and greater public expectations, although with more limited economic resources. Dealing with these challenges requires substantial change. Yet debate continues about what changes are exactly needed.

Prior to the EU-funded 'Comparative police studies in the EU' (http://www.composite-project.eu (COMPOSITE)) project, change management in European police forces had not been investigated comprehensively. A 15-member consortium, based in 10 European countries, aimed to address this gap as well as to improve the planning and execution of change initiatives across these different contexts. The project also planned to develop joint European capabilities during its 4 year undertaking between August 2010 and July 2014.

Project researchers interviewed police stakeholders, including more than 800 officers of various ranks. Topics included opportunities and threats, maintenance of core competencies, knowledge transfer, and the use of information and communications technology (ICT). Additionally, the project prepared case studies on topics such as riot control, harbour policing, human trafficking and the use of social media.

Key results included an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in each country, a compendium of best practices and a diagnostic tool to assess knowledge transfer. The teams also prepared guidelines covering the use of ICT in policing.

The second phase of the project saw more in-depth investigations of key topics, including the evolution towards a national police force in the Netherlands and changes in policies on victim care in the Spanish police. Surveys were also conducted in all 10 countries aimed at examining the effects of change management on performance and individual behaviour.

Team members presented their work at numerous conferences and workshops, creating considerable interest among stakeholders .

In addition, the project published brochures, and various professional and academic papers. Also the project produced a preliminary version of a planned book of photographic essays depicting police work and is currently exploring ways to disseminate the photos and core insights to a wider public. In this context a http://www.composite.rsm.nl (photo gallery) and also a http://www.rsm.nl/cesam (video) was produced.

The COMPOSITE project produced valuable insights into changes in European police management and practices. The findings are expected to be incorporated in future academic curricula, and to facilitate a more integrated European police landscape.