Mavrick Langlois

Police civilianization, the employment of non-police personnel in various roles within police forces, has been increasing as policing practices demand greater specialization and a broader range of specific skills. In this context, my research aims to explore and describe civilianization initiatives within police forces across Canada by examining the roles and tasks carried out by civilian staff, assessing how the scope and nature of these roles vary within and across police organizations, and identifying strategies to best leverage civilian expertise in advancing organizational mandates. Relying on qualitative methods, combining ethnographic fieldwork and interviews, this exploratory study seeks to achieve a better understanding of police organizational change, specifically the processes and implications of civilianization. Ultimately, it strives to inform and guide police management policies on civilianization best practices by developing an operational framework focused on efficient and sustainable strategies for hiring, integrating, retaining, and deploying civilian staff within the police institution.