- Trust, confidence, and legitimacy in policing
- Fairness, disproportionality, and the use of police powers
- Violence against women and girls (VAWG) and public protection debates
- Recruitment, selection, and diversity within policing organisations
- Political influences on policing policy, governance, and reform
- Public scrutiny, media narratives, and accountability
- Technological change in policing, including Artificial Intelligence
- Contemporary case studies in policing practice
- Public vs. Private Policing: Should law enforcement primarily be state-run, or can private security effectively (and ethically) fill gaps?
- Lay Justice vs. Professional Justice: Should ordinary citizens (juries) have significant roles, or should decisions rest with trained professionals?
- Racial profiling, systemic bias, and inequalities in justice outcome
- The Right to Protest and state responses to dissent
- The Protection of Rights against Public Protection
- Freedom of Speech against Hate Speech
- Criminalisation of poverty, migration and marginalised groups
- Globalisation of policing

Students will work in pairs to record a Podcast that discusses and frames a contemporary policing issue relevant to the topics taught on the module e.g. trust and confidence in policing, violence against women and girls (VAWG), stop and search, recruitment, selection and diversity, political influences on policing, and technological developments such as Artificial Intelligence. Students will critically discuss the chosen issue using relevant theory, policy, and research evidence, and to evaluate the implications for policing practice, legitimacy, and public confidence. Students should include a case study example as part of the podcast. Students are encouraged to be innovative in the style and aspects included as part of the podcast.

Learning will be delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, guided discussions, case study analysis, and assessment support sessions. Teaching will encourage critical engagement with contemporary policing debates and support students in applying theory and research evidence to real-world issues. You will have the opportunity to present small parts of your podcast to tutor and student audiences and receive feedback prior to the summative submission.

1. Analyse contemporary challenges facing policing, including issues of trust, confidence, legitimacy and public accountability.

Critical reasoning & collaboration

2. Evaluate policing policies and practices in relation to fairness, disproportionality, diversity and the use of police powers.
Application & problem-solving

3. Conduct literature research on the impact of political, social and technological developments on policing practice and reform.

Research skills

4. Communicate relevant theory, policy and research evidence to critically assess contemporary policing issues and propose informed responses or recommendations in an accessible digital format.

Communication; Digital skills

Audio recording equipment/ software

College of Policing (2025) Code of Ethics. Available at: https://www.college.police.uk/ethics/code-of-ethics

HMICFRS (2025) National PEEL reports. Available at: https://hmicfrs.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/peel-assessments/national-peel-reports/.

Riccio, V., Jia, D. and Das, D.K. (2025) Challenges of Contemporary Policing: Higher Education, Technology, and Officers’ Well-Being. 1st ed. Edited by D.K. Das, D. Jia, and V. Riccio. Oxford: Routledge. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003452379.

This module explores key contemporary issues facing policing in modern society. You will examine debates surrounding trust, legitimacy, fairness, and accountability, alongside the impact of political, social, and technological change on policing practice. Using real-world case studies, the module encourages critical analysis of current challenges and reforms shaping the future of policing.