Biography

Dr Sarah Charman is Professor of Criminology in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Portsmouth. She is also Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice.    

She has a first degree in Sociology, a Masters in Social Research with Criminology and a PhD which focussed on the formation and development of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).   She has researched and published widely in the last 25 years on the sociology of policing and the policing organisation, most notably on policing cultures, police leadership, police recruits and pandemic policing.  Her current research focuses on the areas of police wellbeing and police leavers. Sarah is part of the BBC Expert Women programme.

Sarah teaches across a range of campus based and distance learning undergraduate and postgraduate policing modules. She is currently supervising a number of doctoral students on topics including policing cultures and police leavers and welcomes expressions of interest for doctorate study.

Research outputs

2025

To cheer or jeer the “quitter”? Role exit and voluntary resignations of police officers within England and Wales

Tyson, J., Charman, S.

19 May 2025, In: Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management

Research output: Article

2024

Steering a path to cultural change: emerging and enduring characteristics of policing cultures in the UK

Charman, S.

26 Nov 2024, In: International Journal of Police Science & Management

Research output: Article

The show must go on! An autoethnography of (re)socialization into senior policing in England and the prominence of “leadership theatre”

Corkhill (pseudonym), P., Charman, S.

15 Aug 2024, In: Journal of Contemporary Ethnography

Research output: Article

Not just a numbers game: assessing the journey of women in policing from representation to inclusion

Charman, S.

1 Jul 2024, In: Political Quarterly

Research output: Article

The organisational and cultural challenges of leading a police force

Mills, P., Simkin, C. E., Charman, S.

10 Apr 2024,

Research output: Chapter (peer-reviewed)

2023

Leaving the table: organisational (in)justice and the relationship with police officer retention

Tyson, J., Charman, S.

7 Aug 2023, In: Criminology & Criminal Justice, 17p.

Research output: Article

Parallel lines? The homogeneous and gendered career patterns of senior leaders in policing in England and Wales

Alexander, J. A., Charman, S.

4 Jul 2023, In: Police Practice and Research

Research output: Article

Over and out: the damaged and conflicting identities of officers voluntarily resigning from the police service

Charman, S., Tyson, J.

8 May 2023, In: Policing and Society

Research output: Article

View all my research outputs