POL5072 - Police Accountability, Decision Making and Discretion

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

Understand and compare the necessity, for maintaining professional standards in policing, and relevant governance, roles and responsibilities

Explain the professional standards to be maintained as a member of the police service

Analyse how the police have developed policies and procedures to reduce the possibility of professional malpractice and increase community confidence

Analyse the role that independent bodies such as the IOPC or HMICFRS play in holding the police accountable to the public

Review how previous instances of misconduct/malpractice can influence future professional policing

Understand the rationale, stages, discretion, barriers and bias in relation to the National Decision Model (NDM) and how to apply it

Understand the importance of accountability in assessing risk

Critically review policing incidents in which ethical considerations have been crucial to the decision-making process

Understand the nature of effective team-working

Content:

Students will explore the necessity for maintaining professional standards in policing, and relevant governance and their roles and responsibilities. Students will analyse how the police have developed policies and procedures to reduce the possibility of professional malpractice and increase community confidence; then review the progress being made within the police service to improve professional standards. Students will examine the role of discretion in the decision-making process and analyse the effect on bias on the decision-making process.

Students will compare professional standards within the police service to similar professional organisations and analyse how the police have developed policies and procedures to reduce the possibility of professional malpractice and increase community confidence; then review the progress being made within the police service to improve professional standards. Students will examine the role of discretion in the decision-making process and analyse the effect on bias on the decision-making process. Students will cover and apply the National Decision Model to given professional situations and demonstrate effective judgement and decision making.

Learning and Teaching Information:

Lectures
Hours: 40
Intended group size: 25-40

Guided independent study
Hours: 160

Further details relating to assessment
Practical Case Study scenarios: Students will engage in practical skills practice, testing their decision making, teamwork skills and professionalism in a timed environment to bring a sense of ‘real’ pressure. This will assist in consolidation of knowledge throughout each stage of a ‘live’ scenario.
Written Assignment: Students will choose from three real life case studies to critically review using the principles of professional standards, decision making and discretion.

Other information
The practical case study (01) must be passed to meet professional requirements
The module must be passed (minimum 40) as a requirement of the College of Policing and cannot be condoned for marginal failure

Assessment:

001 Practical case study scenario; 4 hours; mis semester 1 50%
002 Written assignment; 2,000 words; end semester 1 50%

Fact File

Module Coordinator - Donna Eastham
Level - 5
Credit Value - 20
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered - 5S1

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