SHIELDing the front line: A leadership framework to strengthen officer engagement in contemporary policing

16th April 2026Dr Aksar Bashir, Force Contact Training Academy, West Midlands Police 1 Comment

With UK police forces facing a range of challenges including complex demand, declining trust and confidence, and widescale reform, the importance of leadership in policing has never been greater; in his second long-read article for Policing Insight, Dr Aksar Bashir of the West Midlands Police Force Contact Training Academy explores the SHIELD (support, health, inspiration, ethics, listening, development) leadership concept and how it could be a step towards “a more engaged workforce, an ethical service, and renewed public confidence”.

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SHIELDing the front line: A leadership framework to strengthen officer engagement in contemporary policing

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