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Mrs Jennifer Norman

Profile summary

  • Central Academic Staff
  • Head of Department, Policing Organisation and Practices
  • The Faculty of Business & Law
  • The Open University Business School
  • Department for Policing
  • jennifer.norman

Professional biography

Jennifer Norman is the Head of Department of Policing Organisation & Practice (POP) in the Faculty of Business & Law (FBL). She started this role in April 2022 and leads a team of interdisciplinary academics in the development of the policing programmes at the Open University that are delivered as part of the Police Education Qualification Framework. Jennifer also is a member of the Centre for Police Research & Learning (CPRL) which aims to develop research and knowledge exchange with the police members/partnerships involved in the centre and is actively involved in research that CPRL undertakes.

Before joining the OU, Jennifer worked at Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) as Senior Lecturer. She was the Programme Director for the BSc (Hons) in Policing, a degree programme specifically designed for police professions. During her time at CCCU, she was also involved in several research projects from the Canterbury Centre for Police Research. She conducted research for the Police Federation of England and Wales exploring police officer perceptions of a number of College of Police initiatives, including Direct Entry. She was involved with a small-scale project that focused on police education. She has expanded this work for her PhD study, using a longitudinal research design to track police officer experiences of studying at degree level specifically in relation to them utilising their knowledge in practice.

Before joining CCCU, Jennifer worked for the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). Her experience within the MPS was both operational and strategic. However, she was primarily involved with research and analysis throughout her 13-year career. She spent most of her MPS working as a Strategic Researcher where she employed social research methodologies to further understand strategic priorities for MPS Business Groups. She was involved in a number of research projects including a long term mixed methods approach to explore issues around rape and sexual violence, a process evaluation on neighbourhood policing, a qualitative study on the role of analysis and a project that gleaned young people’s perceptions of the police to further explore police engagement strategies. 

 

Research interests

Jennifer has a variety of research interests having been involved in a range of research areas in policing. However, her main focus is on police professionalism and the role of police education with a focus on understanding how knowledge meets practice. Having worked within the profession in a research capacity and as an academic delivering a programme to practitioners, Jennifer recognises the importance of research knowledge being transferable and transparent to practice. She is committed to ensure that practitioners voices are represented in research to ensure their experiences are heard within the policing narrative.    

Teaching interests

Policing, professionalism, victim vulnerablity, reflective practice

Impact and engagement

Journal articles and chapters

Norman J. and Fleming, J. (2021) Utilising police knowledge and skills - experiences from police practitioners studying a police specific degree Police Practice and Research: An International Journal, Online First

Williams, E., Norman, J. and Boag-Munroe, F. (2021) ‘Direct Entry: Fairness, resilience and the impact on regular cops’ International Journal of Law and Criminal Justice. Vol 64, 100442

Williams, E., Norman, J. and Brown, M. (2020) Policing and Mental Health: Do We Really Get It? in McDaniel, J., Moss, K. and Pease, K. (eds) Policing and Mental Health: Theory, Policy and Practice London: CRC Press 

Williams, E., Norman, J. and Rowe, M. (2019) ‘The Police Education Qualification Framework: A Professional Agenda or Building Professionals?’ Police Practice and Research: An International Journal, 20 (3). pp259-272. 

Williams, E., Norman, J. and Nixon, K. (2018) Violence Against Women: Public health or Law Enforcement Problem. Or both? International Journal of Police Science & Management, 20 (3). pp. 196-206. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461355718793666

Norman, J. & Williams, E. (2017) ‘Putting Learning into Practice: Self reflections from Cops', European Police Science and Research Bulletin Blog: Permalink: https://policinginsight.com/opinion/taking-time-take-stock-reflective-practice-police-bsc-students/#comment-768 

Williams, E. & Norman, J. (2017).  ‘Understanding Risks: Practitioner’s Perceptions of the Lottery of Mental Healthcare Available for Detainees in Custody’ Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, pax067, https://doi.org/10.1093/police/pax067. 9th October 2017 

Norman, J. (2009). ‘Seen and Not Heard: Young People’s Perceptions of the Police.’ Policing – A Journal for Policy and Practice Volume 3, Number 4 364 – 372.  

 

Conference papers

Norman J., and Lennie, S.J. (2021) Evidence Based Policing: What’s the problem? Australia & New Zealand Evidence Based Policing Conference (ANZSEBP) 17-20 August 2021.

Norman J., and Williams, E. (2021) Getting it right from the start: How to get vulnerability on the agenda as business as usual. LEPH 2021 The Sixth International Conference on Law Enforcement and Public Health, Philadelphia – USA, 22 – 26 March 2021

Norman, J. (2018) ‘Rape and Sexual Violence – Partnership Problem or Law Enforcement Problem. Or both?’ “Taming the wicked: The role of partnerships in demanding times” 20th & 21st June 2018. Canterbury Christ Church University 3rd Annual Conference 

Williams, E. and Norman, J. (2018) ‘Police Federation’s Annual Pay and Morale Survey (2017) – taking an in-depth look at the qualitative data’ British Psychological Society Conference 

Norman, J. (2017) ‘Police officer students: experiences of studying a police specific degree’ - British Society of Criminology Annual Conference 2017, Forging Social Justice: Local Challenges, Global Complexities 4-7th July 2017. Sheffield Hallam University 

Williams, E. and Norman, J. (2016) ‘Putting Learning into Practice: Self-Reflections from the Cops’. CEPOL -European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training. GLOBAL TRENDS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING AND EDUCATION. Research & Science Conference 2016 5-7 October 2016 –Budapest, Hungary 

Norman, J. (2009) ‘Seen and Not Heard: Young People’s Perceptions of the Police in London’. Conference Paper, British Criminology Conference. 2009. 

Publications

Care for both victim-survivors and police investigators of rape and serious sexual offences in England and Wales (2024)
Maguire, Linda; Sondhi, Arun; Norman, Jennifer and Abinashi, Daniela
Criminology & Criminal Justice ((Early access))

Linking Professionalism, Learning and Wellbeing in the Context of Rape Investigation: Early Findings from Project Bluestone (2022-09)
Williams, Emma; Norman, Jennifer; Ward, Rachel and Harding, Richard
International Criminology, 2(3) (pp. 262-275)

Critical Reflection: The Importance of Case Reviews and Reflective Practice in Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Investigations (2022-06-26)
Norman, Jenny; Fox, Andy; Harding, Richard; Majid, Asmaa and Williams, Emma
International Criminology, 2(3) (pp. 276-285)

Utilising police knowledge and skills: Experiences from police practitioners studying a police specific degree (2022)
Norman, Jenny and Fleming, Jenny
International Journal of Police Science & Management, 24(2) (pp. 162-174)