1.You recently submitted your PhD exploring anti-police sentiment. Congratulations! What first sparked your interest in policing research, and what’s one finding or insight from your PhD that you think deserves more attention?
My interest in policing research and my PhD topic was sparked as I was completing my undergraduate studies in 2020/21. Between police responsibilities during COVID-19 and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement following the police killing of George Floyd, I recall distinctly anti-police slogans (e.g., ‘ACAB’ and ‘FTP’) seemed to become more popular in the public vernacular and important debates around reforming, defunding, or abolishing police entered mainstream public discourse. During this time, I became interested in how anti-police sentiment differed from typical measures of satisfaction or confidence with police and wanted to understand the different underlying experiences that drove these sentiments. This naturally triggered the consideration of how such deeply held values in citizens and communities could impact police, their identity, and their practice, as well as how each might influence the other. Thus my PhD ‘Disrupting the Cycle of Hostility: Exploring the Nature and Consequences of Anti-Police Sentiment towards Police Officers’ was born. I am particularly grateful to former Australian police officers who offered their experiences and insights, which formed a critical portion of my research. A finding from my project that has stuck with me is the idea of a growing apathy towards the possibility of police reform. In my thesis I drew parallels from Zhelnina’s arguments on political apathy which suggest that some citizens may harbour an anti-police sentiment but feel resigned to the impossibility of change. This presents a unique challenge in police-community relations, not only designing and implementing effective reform but also convincing the public that reform is possible.
2.Following completion of your PhD, you will soon commence a new role as a Research Associate in the corrections space. Moving from policing research into the corrections is an exciting next step. What are you most looking forward to in this position, and are there any research questions or projects you’re particularly keen to explore?
I’m really excited to be joining the Flinders University ‘Breaking the Prison-Reoffending Cycle: A Desistance from Crime Approach’ project as a research associate later this year. The project both builds on and feeds into crucial theoretical and practical work supporting rehabilitative approaches to corrections and promoting desistance in Australian communities. After the somewhat solitary PhD experience, I’m looking forward to working as part of a larger cross-jurisdictional team with researchers, practitioners, and corrections residents to build collective knowledge from theory, practice, and lived-experience. In terms of professional development, I am most looking forward to building on my own knowledge and research skills, particularly in the longitudinal research methods sense. It’s an awesome opportunity as an early career researcher to join a team promoting important change in the lives of Australians who have experienced incarceration, and by extension the lives of their families and communities.
3.Looking back on your PhD journey and the transition into your first full-time research role, is there anything that surprised you along the way? If you could go back and give yourself one piece of advice at the start of your PhD, what would it be?
I would say my biggest surprise was how much support was available and how many people were happy to provide it. At the beginning I was warned continuously that the PhD can be a lonely and isolating journey. While it certainly was at times, I found so much support from peers, supervisors, professional staff, and colleagues when I put myself in the position to ask for or receive that help. In the beginning I worried that asking for help would be considered lazy or that I was expected to struggle through problems myself. Throughout my program I found this was almost never the case. I was particularly lucky to have such wonderful supervisors, but I also received outstanding support from professional IT and eResearch staff at various stages of my project. I also gained practical knowledge and advice from other faculty and peers who were open to sharing their knowledge and experiences. On multiple occasions, a weeks’ worth of panic would be solved in a 10 minute discussion. If I could go back, I would encourage myself to be brave and just ask. Take the advice and support when it’s offered and pay it forward when the opportunity arises.
