“They need to be taught a lesson”: police officer rationalisations in dismissal reviews

Purpose A dismissed Victoria Police officer or protective services officer has the option to seek a review by the Police Registration and Services Board. The Board must then review to affirm the decision to dismiss unless it is satisfied that the Victoria Police decision to do so was “harsh, unjust or unreasonable”. This research analyses 59 Review Decisions made by the Board between 2014 and 2024. Design/methodology/approach All Review Decisions are published online unless there are grounds to suppress. This research analyses the Review Decision reports using Sykes and Matza’s neutralisation framework to explore police rationalisations of their misconduct during employment review board hearings. While some Review Decisions included verbatim statements made by officers, our content analysis largely relies on documentary analysis of published reports written by board members. Findings The analysis reveals that the dismissed police officers and protective services officers, like everyone else, use rationalisations to justify behaviours that contradict their moral standards and the norms they work to protect. Our analysis provides insights for initial and ongoing training in police ethics, as well as behavioural and cultural evaluations and interventions, by examining the rationalisations used in cases of police misconduct. Originality/value This research is the first to apply Sykes and Matza’s neutralisation framework in exploring police rationalisations of misconduct during employment review board hearings.