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A report entitled Challenge and Change: Police Identity, Morale and Goodwill has conducted a survey of 10% of the police officers in England and Wales. The survey was carried out upon a landscape of vast policing reforms made over the current period in response to a reduction of the policing budget by 20% and the subsequent Windsor reforms proposed to achieve this.

The study focused on the individual officer's perception of the current policing environment and how they predict that the proposed reforms will alter this, and the formation of an officer's personal identity. Something which the report recognises as key to providing motivation to go above and beyond the duties outlined in the job specification.

Some of the key findings of the report highlight that overall morale of officers, from Constable to Chief Inspector in the 43 police forces in England and Wales was strongly coherant. With 9.6% of respondents reporting that their perception of morale was high, and With little geographical and rank discrepency, it's clear that this report has uncovered a common voice.

One finding, which aptly summarises the experience of the officer was that 64.9% of those who took part would consider looking for alternative employment, paired with 44.2% stating that they would take voluntary severance. The report implies that motivation is key to the formation and maintence of the individuals identity as a police officer and seen as the foundation on which the policing culture is built upon. Only 11.3% agreed that the proposed changes will not attenuate the individual's motivation to carry out their role. But one of the most stark findings and a rich source of demotivation, is that 80.4% of officers agree that the proposed reforms will "give criminality the upper hand".

SOURCES
James Hogget, Paul Redford, Deirdre Toher & Paul White (2014) - Challenge and Change: Police Identity, Morale and Goodwill in an Age of Austerity: University of the West of England.