Exit the 'polibation' officer? De-coupling police and probation

Since 1999 the pages of this journal have periodically carried articles based on the idea of a ‘polibation’ officer, or variants on that theme. The idea arose from the possible outcomes of increasingly closer collaboration between police and probation services under the public protection umbrella. Eight years on it is evident that, in a variety of settings, roles have been established which take individual practitioners some way from their roots in terms of professional practice and culture. This article briefly revisits this process and explores the pros and cons of fused roles. It concludes with the announcement of a split in the functions of the Home Office which results, at least on paper, in a decoupling of police and probation services. The future of the polibation officer is considered in this light.