We are keen to make the course relevant to practitioners but the course is principally an academic endeavour. We are eager to ensure that practical problems can be informed by high quality empirical research. The Police Skills and Standards Organisation (PSSO), the National training Organisation for the Police sector in the UK, was established in 2001, following the recommendations of the White Paper, 'Police Training: The Way Forward' (May, 2000). The PSSO was responsible for producing a 'Police Sector Skills Foresight report'. Skills Foresight is tasked with identifying skills and needs within a sector and developing a targeted action plan for approximately five years. In particular, and at the top of the PPSO list for the 'skills demanded of police officers…over the next five years' (pg. 7) is, "an increased emphasis on leadership across all ranks" (pg. 7). Further, there is a recognised, "need to develop a core of specialist detectives with a high degree of expertise" (pg. 20) and the aim is to, "In future develop a cadre of specialist detectives". Concerns involve developing skills for a range of major investigations (e.g., sex offences, offences against children, murder enquiries) and a range of major incidents (firearms incidents, large-scale public disorder or major sporting events and disasters). Thus, the police sector is moving from a previously multi competency model to a specialist set of roles and yet, despite these aims, there appears to be little in the way of systematic evaluation of how relevant skills might be identified with regard to leadership and effective management of such incidents/investigations. Fortunately, there is a very wide literature on leadership, group behaviour and decision making within management and military circles that may give us some clues as to productive areas of research. The IP course must move with the times and recognise these issues as of central importance to policing and the investigation of crime. Thus, our current work adopts a two-pronged approach.

The first issue involves developing our knowledge of criminal behaviour - how it emerges, develops and changes, how people get involved in crime and why they stop and identifying the interpersonal significance of criminal behaviour. In doing so, we might come to appreciate whether there are identifiable geographic, behavioural or temporal patterns in offending and in doing so may increase our ability to link offences, predict an offender's home location or prioritise suspects within police databases. The second issue connects with police decision-making, problem solving and management of major investigations. We are fortunate indeed in having a number of police officers who provide detailed accounts of important investigations, as well as research ongoing into team skills, leadership and problem solving. Of course, what offenders do and what police do overlaps and so we try to ensure that these overlapping features become clear to students across the course. You will see the key areas of interest on our website (www.i-psy.com). You should thoroughly explore this website to familiarise yourself with recent developments.

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