Perceptions of police professionalisation in British Columbia: police reform study

This study, investigated the perceptions of British Columbians, police officers, and criminal justice experts as they relate to the professionalisation of policing in British Columbia. To gather data, the study included two province-wide surveys of British Columbians, a survey of BC police officers, and semi-structured interviews with various criminal justice experts. The results of the study showed that most of the public surveyed (≈70%) and many of the police (≈50%) would support the Government of British Columbia establishing a professional college of policing. What’s more, the results of this study also suggest most British Columbians (including many police officers) want the practice of policing to be more evidence-based, transparent, and responsive to societal demands. Considering a professional college of policing would be mandated to protect the public from policing malpractice and malfeasance, public confidence in, trust of, and support for the police would undoubtedly increase. Equally, by having all police officers in the province being mandated to become members of the professional college of policing (including members of the RCMP), standards would be elevated, and a healthier, more community-focused policing culture would likely emerge. Lastly, a professional college of policing could ultimately provide the much-needed opportunity and foundation upon which policing could become more democratic, effective, and community-focused –– supporting the practice of policing finally being divorced from its colonial roots.