Emeritus Professor 

Personal statement

My scholarly interests are motivated by my previous role in the Serious and Organised Crime Directorate at the Home Office. I focus specifically on intelligence, covert policing and ethics in operational practice. For the last five years, I have been working with police forces in England, Wales and Scotland to develop ethics committees at the local, regional and national level.

As part of this agenda, I was approached by the Royal Marines to help re-establish ethical culture and training following allegations of bullying and harassment in the Corps. In 2017, this led to a commission from the Vice Admiral of the Royal Navy for me to scrutinise the culture, ethical climate, ethical awareness and ethical leadership across the five Fighting Arms of the Naval Service. As part of this schedule, I attend a NATO working group for ethical leadership.

I am the Co-Director for Bath Spa's Centre for Leadership, Ethics and Professional Practice, and this is where my research is based. I also Chair the submissions of Ethical Dilemmas at the UK Police Ethics Group.

Academic qualifications

  • BSc (Hons) Criminology Psychology - Brunel University
  • MA Intelligence and Security Studies - Brunel University
  • PhD, Police Intelligence in Operations - Brunel University

Professional qualifications

  • Principal Fellow - Higher Education Academy

Research and academic outputs

Go to ResearchSPAce

Handbook of policing, ethics, and professional standards
book

MacVean, A, Spindler, P and Solf, C, eds. (2012) Handbook of policing, ethics, and professional standards. Routledge frontiers of criminal justice, 6 . Routledge, Abingdon. ISBN 9780415630757

Police ethics and values
book

MacVean, A and Neyroud, P (2012) Police ethics and values. Policing matters . SAGE/Learning Matters, Los Angeles, Calif. ; London. ISBN 9780857258311

The handbook of intelligent policing: consilience, crime control, and community safety
book

Harfield, C, MacVean, A, Grieve, J.G.D and Phillips, D, eds. (2008) The handbook of intelligent policing: consilience, crime control, and community safety. Oxford University Press, Oxford. ISBN 9780199533138

Policing
book

Grieve, J, Harfield, C and MacVean, A (2007) Policing. SAGE course companions : knowledge and skills for success . SAGE, Los Angeles ; London. ISBN 9781412935425

Policing paedophiles on the Internet
book

MacVean, A and Spindler, P, eds. (2003) Policing paedophiles on the Internet. New Police Bookshop, Bristol. ISBN 9781903639122

Principled and ethical policing: some considerations for police leaders
book_section

MacVean, A and Spindler, P (2015) 'Principled and ethical policing: some considerations for police leaders.' In: Fleming, J, ed. Police leadership: rising to the top. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 110-128. ISBN 9780198728627

Great expectations: towards a greater understanding of ethics in policing by exploring practices in the medical profession
book_section

MacVean, A (2015) 'Great expectations: towards a greater understanding of ethics in policing by exploring practices in the medical profession.' In: Hakim, N, Papalois, V and Epstein, M, eds. Ethical and legal issues in modern surgery. Introductory series in medicine (2). Imperial College Press, London. ISBN 9781848162464

Critical incidents
book_section

MacVean, A (2013) 'Critical incidents.' In: Harfield, C, ed. Blackstone's police operational handbook: practice and procedure. 2nd ed. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 563-568. ISBN 9780199662944

Policing critical incidents
book_section

MacVean, A (2009) 'Policing critical incidents.' In: Harfield, C, ed. Blackstone's operational handbook: practice and procedure. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 743-750. ISBN 9780199561018

Critical incidents
book_section

MacVean, A (2009) 'Critical incidents.' In: Harfield, C, ed. Blackstone's police operational handbook: practice and procedure. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 743-750. ISBN 9780199561018

Introduction to Part IV: the future of intelligence
book_section

MacVean, A (2008) 'Introduction to Part IV: the future of intelligence.' In: Harfield, C, MacVean, A, Grieve, J.G.D and Phillips, D, eds. The handbook of intelligent policing: consilience, crime control, and community safety. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 207-210. ISBN 9780199533138

Science or sophistry: issues in managing analysts and their products
book_section

MacVean, A and Harfield, C (2008) 'Science or sophistry: issues in managing analysts and their products.' In: Harfield, C, MacVean, A, Grieve, J.G.D and Phillips, D, eds. The handbook of intelligent policing: consilience, crime control, and community safety. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 93-104. ISBN 9780199533138

The governance of intelligence
book_section

MacVean, A (2008) 'The governance of intelligence.' In: Harfield, C, MacVean, A, Grieve, J.G.D and Phillips, D, eds. The handbook of intelligent policing: consilience, crime control, and community safety. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 63-74. ISBN 9780199533138

Defining deviant lifestyles: understanding anti-social behaviour and problem drug use through critical methodologies
book_section

Paterson, C and MacVean, A (2008) 'Defining deviant lifestyles: understanding anti-social behaviour and problem drug use through critical methodologies.' In: Hogard, E, Ellis, R and Warren, J, eds. Community safety: innovation and evaluation. Chester Academic Press, Chester, pp. 260-284. ISBN 9781905929269

Police perceptions of restorative justice: findings from a small‐scale study
article

Gavin, P and MacVean, A (2018) 'Police perceptions of restorative justice: findings from a small‐scale study.' Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 36 (2). pp. 115-130. ISSN 1536-5581

Police education in a university setting: emerging cultures and attitudes
article

MacVean, A and Cox, C (2012) 'Police education in a university setting: emerging cultures and attitudes.' Policing, 6 (1). pp. 16-25. ISSN 1752-4520

Controlling instant information
article

MacVean, A (2006) 'Controlling instant information.' Police Review, 114 (5864).

Web of deceit
article

MacVean, A (2003) 'Web of deceit.' Police Review, 101 (5740).

Risk, policing and the management of sex offenders
article

MacVean, A (2000) 'Risk, policing and the management of sex offenders.' Crime Prevention and Community Safety, 2 (4). pp. 7-18. ISSN 1743-4629

The only way is ethics
conference_item

MacVean, A (2015) The only way is ethics. In: Superintendents' Association Annual Conference, 5 -7 September 2015, Chesford Grange Hotel, Kenilworth, UK.

A review of data provided by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (Wiltshire) for comparison to the data contained in the report 'Specialist Domestic Violence Courts – how special are they?'
commissioned_report

MacVean, A, Edwards-Evans, C and Tusien, P (2019) A review of data provided by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (Wiltshire) for comparison to the data contained in the report 'Specialist Domestic Violence Courts – how special are they?'. Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner Northumbria.

A qualitative and quantitative review of the implementation of the Ethics Committee in Avon and Somerset Constabulary: the views of referrers and members
commissioned_report

MacVean, A and Theodosopoulou, M (2018) A qualitative and quantitative review of the implementation of the Ethics Committee in Avon and Somerset Constabulary: the views of referrers and members. Avon & Somerset Police.

The ethical health and culture of the five arms of the Naval Service
commissioned_report

MacVean, A (2018) The ethical health and culture of the five arms of the Naval Service. Naval Service, London.

An evaluation of three One Team initiatives: Halcon, North Taunton and Wellington
commissioned_report

MacVean, A and Read, C (2017) An evaluation of three One Team initiatives: Halcon, North Taunton and Wellington. Bath Spa University and Somerset County Council, Bath.

Police corruption: deviance, accountability and reform in policing [book review]
other

MacVean, A (2010) Police corruption: deviance, accountability and reform in policing [book review]. Policing, 4 (4). pp. 328-330. ISSN 1752-4520