Mr Christian Butler

Before moving into higher education in 2021, I spent over 15 years as a police constable, working in frontline policing and later within the Constabulary’s Learning and Development Unit. This experience gave me a strong practical grounding in policing as well as an interest in how we prepare and support people entering the profession.

As the Programme Leader of the Professional Policing Degree (PPD) programme, my teaching and academic interests include community policing, restorative justice, and the safeguarding of vulnerable people.

My areas of expertise centre on community and neighbourhood policing, restorative justice and digital technology in policing.

Before moving into higher education, I worked as a neighbourhood beat manager, leading PCSOs and working with communities and partner organisations to identify local priorities, solve problems and help make neighbourhoods safer. That experience continues to shape my approach to teaching community policing and the importance I place on engagement, trust and practical problem solving.

I was also an active restorative justice practitioner and had responsibility for supporting its implementation through training. Seeing restorative approaches in practice developed my interest in how mediation and meaningful dialogue can improve outcomes for victims while encouraging accountability and rehabilitation among offenders. I am particularly interested in researching how these approaches can contribute to youth justice and diversionary outcomes.

My more recent interests include digital technology and policing, particularly how technological change affects policing practice and the relationship between the police and the public. I draw these different strands together in the modules I lead at UWE, combining practitioner experience with contemporary research and debate.

Publications

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