Implications and Recommendations

This chapter will draw together the important results of the research with the review of literature, to address the objectives of this book that 1. Explore the attitudes of police officers to Prevention Interviews (PI) of adults. 2. Explore the attitudes of police officers to PI of children. 3. Examine whether the PI should be the responsibility of third sector partners. Further, it will critically explore what the present research means and how it reflects upon existing literature, offering a new addition to Police Occupational theory, of Frustrated-Safeguarder IdentityFrustrated-Safeguarder Identity (FSI), suggesting a new understanding of police officers’ role related to missing persons. The chapter makes pragmatic recommendations for future practice, borne from the findings of this book, with good general support from some existing literature. For example, respondents called for better partnership working as the top way that the PI could be improved, which is also supported by academics (i.e. Harris & Shalev Greene, 2016). Lastly, the United Nations (2024) set out Goals for Sustainable Development, and this book speaks to aspirations around healthy lives and wellbeing for all (goal 3); Achieving gender equality for both missing people and officers (5); Making human settlements as safe and resilient as possible (11); and ensuring Peace, Justice and strong institutions by crown servants for how the public are policed (16).