Department for Police Work is established

Today, Malmö University offers the Police Program in several formats: on-campus, online, part-time, and in a function-specific format. These diverse formats demonstrate the flexibility and growth of the program. At the same time, the Swedish Police Authority has expressed the need to further increase the number of admitted students, which presents new challenges and requires additional resources, including more facilities.

“The development of the program and the field of police work has been exciting, and we at the department look forward to further strengthening the profile of police work in both research and education. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our colleagues across the university for their tremendous support and collaboration, which have been crucial to our efforts,” says Caroline Mellgren, Acting Head of the Department for Police Work.

However, the expansion is not just about quantity. The unit has also established a research environment for police studies in collaboration with the Department of Criminology. This research environment is funded by Länsförsäkringar, and various research projects have received financial support from external partners such as the City of Malmö, the County Administrative Board, and the Swedish Gender Equality Agency. The department also hosts the Safe Learning Lab, which develops, tests, and evaluates digital learning environments, such as driving simulators and virtual reality, in police training. This makes Malmö University's police education unique in its kind.

The department's research faculty has also received grants from, for example, the Swedish Research Council. Collaboration with external actors further strengthens the connection between education and practical police work.

With these advancements, it has become evident that the department has developed into a cohesive academic environment similar to other departments within the university. The dean has assessed that the unit meets the criteria required to be designated as a full-fledged department, including integrating education and research at all levels, as well as broad collaboration with external partners. This has led to the decision to establish the Department of Police Work. Caroline Mellgren, the department's director, will serve as acting head until a permanent head is appointed, and efforts to further develop the department are already underway.

In a short period, Malmö University has established itself as a strong player in police education and research in police work, and this development continues with the department's new status. This milestone reflects the university's commitment to both academic advancement and community collaboration.