How do the police define, identify, and respond to vulnerability?

Abstract

Vulnerability has become a vogue term in policing during the years since 2010. In the UK, austerity measures have meant that the police have had to think carefully about how and where they focus their reducing resources. Cuts to a variety of public services have also contributed to an increase in demand for police assistance. Focusing on vulnerable people has been seen as one way of reducing this demand, which has led to a rise in research into policing vulnerability. However, the term ‘vulnerability’ has become pervasive in policing and approaches to tackling vulnerability have not been translated consistently into practice. Part of the problem has been a lack of clarity from senior police leaders and police governing bodies about what policing vulnerability means, and yet, front-line practitioner views are consistent with academic research, particularly around the issues of defining, identifying, and responding to vulnerability.

This thesis makes a unique contribution to the growing academic debate regarding the policing of vulnerable people. It uses a mixed methods approach as a means of
triangulating the research to improve consistency in its findings. This includes a focus group of police practitioners and quantitative research of 3 sets of police recorded data. The direct access to police data has allowed this thesis to research and present an original contribution to knowledge in how policing deals with vulnerability. Ultimately, this thesis argues that the concept of vulnerability in policing is an essential one. Whilst practitioners found that it was confusing, it did focus police activity to support those in need. This thesis found that police recorded data holds some significant and valuable findings about recorded vulnerability. The recording of vulnerability was inconsistent across different data sets used by the police, and this made it difficult to ascertain levels of repeat victimisation, which should be regarded as a priority vulnerability that is targeted by the police. However, analysis was able to show that vulnerability is a consistent demand across the 7-day week and is linked to routine activities theory.

To counter some of the draw backs of recorded data and staff confusion about vulnerability, this thesis has developed and presents an ecological approach to vulnerability. This model can direct police practitioners in overcoming identified flaws and improve partnership working to ensure that those with the most complex needs are in receipt of appropriate services.