Good cop, Polish cop: findings from an evaluation of the secondment of two Polish police officers to work with the Metropolitan Police Service

This article presents and discusses the findings from an evaluation of the secondment of two Polish police officers to work with the Metropolitan Police Service in a west London borough between October and December 2009. While the secondment was intended to improve the service provided to the local Polish community, the principal outcome was more effective information‐sharing concerning Polish offenders. ‘Cop culture’ in this context had more resonance than national culture. British and Polish officers soon found they could overcome apparent differences in their approach to the ‘job’. Overcoming residents' reluctance to engage with the police proved more problematic.