Opinion: CCTV of a mentally ill man being sprayed with capsicum spray, pinned to the ground by six police officers and hit with a baton in Melbourne quickly went viral, appalling many including Dr Isabelle Bartkowiak-Théron of the Tasmanian Institute of Law Enforcement Studies who works closely with the Australian police. She asks what can we learn from this.

OPINION: Police professionalisation is a growing theme internationally, and greater attention is being paid to the links between universities and police forces. Dr Isabelle Bartkowiak-Théron, James Dwyer and Brianna O’Shea of the University of Tasmania reflect on their experiences and the need to keep challenging for greater engagement.