Police institutions are usually the first line of contact for citizens who use the criminal justice system and the face of criminal justice systems. Citizens’ experiences with the police including police corruption can leave a lasting impression of the justice system as a whole. As a result, police officers need to recognise the impact their actions and/or inaction can have on members of the public. In this regard, this study explores police officers’ perceptions and attitudes toward corruption that occurs in the police. Using survey data from Ghanaian police officers, we measure perceptions of the frequency and seriousness of corrupt behaviours, what reactions officers expect for corrupt behaviours, and factors that impact officers’ perceptions and attitudes toward corruption. Unlike results of previous studies, our results show that police officers are realistic in their assessment of corruption in the police and do not use excuses to neutralise or justify the occurrence and persistence of corruption in the police. Furthermore, it emerged that attitudes toward corruption in the form of corruption culture influences officers’ perceptions of and attitudes toward corruption in the police. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of the results for corruption control in police organisations.

Constructions of Police Organisational Blame and the Consequences for police organisational learning
When something goes wrong, or mistakes and errors are made particularly when they lead to dire consequences and harm, there is a tendency to want to attribute blame. This is increasingly the environment in which criminal justice agencies operate. However, conceptions of ‘blame’ and the consequences of these are often unexplored. Lupton and Sawar (2021) highlight the difference between positive and negative forms of blame. They make the distinction between ‘swift blame’ and ‘communitive blame’. Swift blame tends to occur as a knee-jerk reaction with little thought for context and circumstance and it can have adverse effects on organisations (Skarlicki et al 2017) it can impede learning and does not necessarily seek to understand why errors occurred. Blame can have positive effects too, forms of communicative blame as identified by Fricker (2016) can be useful to highlight to the wrongdoer the implications of what they have done and make them consider the consequences of their actions.
Drawing on theory and literature from organisational studies this paper examines different constructions of blame and the consequences of blame for police organisations. Using a case study approach, it will examine blame and the subsequent reaction and possible implications that differing blame constructions may have on the police as an organisation. More specifically it will outline whether the way that blame is constructed impedes or encourages the process of organisational learning which is viewed as necessarily for organisation to improve and change.
This paper also aligns with theme of the conference in that it argues to move the discipline of Criminology beyond its current state we can move further beyond ourselves by drawing on interesting empirical reflections and insights from other disciplines, in this case organisational studies and learning theory.

In March 2020 the Centre for Women’s Justice (CWJ) submitted a super-complaint which alleged police forces in England and Wales were inadequately responding to allegations of police perpetrated domestic abuse (PPDA). The CWJ (2020) presented 11 overarching concerns including difficulties in reporting, failures in investigations and improper responses to complaints. Research by Johnson (1991) and Neidig (1992) found approximately 40% of survey respondents who were police officers self-reported being physically violent towards their spouses. Building from the evidence in the super-complaint and previous research, this study aims to explores the victim/survivor and police investigator narratives of the reporting processes and investigations of PPDA. It will also review prevalence, perpetrator misconduct and operational guidance on PPDA. The first phase of this research has utilised semi-structured online interviews with victim/survivors. Throughout these interviews there have been areas highlighted for improvement in both the reporting and investigating processes. In addition, many victim/survivors emphasised a lack of support and guidance in both criminal and misconduct investigations, with victims stating they were not given legitimate victim status. Furthermore, victims who are or were police staff or police officers themselves felt there is an assumption of knowledge due to their police status, which is overriding any victim status they may be given. Despite the super-complaint and key recommendations, there still appears to be a lack of progress in improving PPDA processes and procedures.

This study investigates the state of police whistleblowing in England and Wales, revealing systemic challenges and the negative impact on whistleblowers. Despite efforts for reform, the culture within policing remains resistant to change. Research suggests that while there's recognition of issues such as sexism, racism, and misconduct, actual change is slow, perpetuating what could be perceived as a crisis of confidence in the police. This analysis of whistleblowing policies and their implementation shows significant gaps, with only a minority of police services reporting effective mechanisms. The study underscores the need for concrete policy changes and better support for police whistleblowers, emphasizing that addressing these internal issues is crucial for restoring public trust and improving police practices.