Dyslexia and the Police

This research was commissioned by Organisation 1, a police force in England, in order to clarify the incidence of dyslexia within newly recruited officers and to identify strategies and systems which can support them in their role. From researching the subject areas, it was clear that little previous evidence existed and as such, this was considered ‘grounded research’. From a review of the existing literature of dyslexia, the impact of self esteem appeared key, particularly in formative education (e.g., Burden 2008, 2010; Taylor 2015 & Crivellie 2013). Within other public services, it was evident that neurodiversity (Griffin & Pollak 2009 and Pinkowski 2017) and disclosure were key factors in identification and services response (McCusker, 2014; Rosenfeld 1979 and Doyle, 2014). New interventions developing across the HE sector were focused on technological support, with coaching and mentoring appearing key in supporting self esteem with those identified with specific learning-difficulties in the work place (Crivelli 2013 and Price 2016).

When regarding the links between dyslexia and self esteem, the research report establishes that traits of dyslexia are linked with levels of self esteem, with a statistically significant, negative correlation (p>0.012 level, r=-.235). The higher the levels of dyslexia ‘traits’ within the cohorts of newly trained recruits, the lower the self esteem. Other independent variables, such as demographic data were not collected so a simple, linear regression analysis (F (1, 5.3) = 17.86 p= .000) revealed the power of this relationship. A further small, self-selected sample of interviews gathered follow up qualitative data. This revealed the views of new recruits who were at least ‘at risk of dyslexia’ from the screeners. Discussions regarding these new recruits’ perceptions of anxieties, stresses and frustrations are revealed. There arelimitations to this data, for instance the size of the female only sample, which are discussed. However, this study forms an important foundation for considering the new recruits’ perceptions in the police role.

Finally, a service evaluation draws deeper perspectives across the police service, comparing views of both officers with a diagnosis of dyslexia, as well as line managers who are all experienced police officers (Person-Goff & Herington, 2013). The survey identifies a number of collaborative views on the weaknesses of police officers with dyslexia as well as the sorts of intervention which appear to have made a difference (Taylor, 2015 and Reid et al 2008 and Doyle, 2014). However, there do appear to be differences in opinion regarding strengths of officers with dyslexia in their role, or the levels of support from line managers and peers (Strauss, Griffin & Rafferty, 2009).

The collaborative information from this thesis gives clarity on the impact of dyslexia on the police officer in role, for both newly qualified and experienced staff members. The voice of the officer with at least traits of dyslexia matches a number of views from the experienced officers, sharing concerns about administrative tasks and timescales and reflecting on variations of line management support. The echoed concerns and positive views of self in role, can assist the support structures in providing safe transitions, support and mechanisms for improving the quality of police work when challenged with dyslexia (Poda & Popea, 2013, Brown, 2007 and Strauss, Griffin & Rafferty, 2009).