Blending the ‘craft’ and ‘science’ of policing: challenges and opportunities for police as professional learning organizations

Police organizations in many liberal democracies are in crisis, prompting calls for cultural and organizational reforms within policing. Central to some of these debates is the ongoing push for police professionalization through academization. This paper offers a critical analysis of the structures underpinning efforts to professionalize policing. We draw on data from two PhD studies, which investigated police learning in Scotland, Sweden, and Finland between 2018 and 2022. The foundational elements needed to foster learning innovations and the ongoing process of professionalization are discussed. Senge’s theory of the learning organization is used to better understand this stabilizing support structure. We argue that a balance between the ‘craft’ and ‘science’ within policing is essential for meaningful professionalization to occur. Without this, officers may become alienated from the organization and fail to develop the practical wisdom that may help to address police crises.