Nicholas Mills

I am a senior lecturer and course leader in the Institute of Policing and Justice with a background in the investigation of serious and complex, and major crime having retired from the Police after 30 years’ service at the end of 2021.

I worked in the homicide team as a qualified detective mainly as a specialist intelligence operative. I also spent several years in the cold case review team where I reviewed unsolved live homicide investigations and historic unsolved homicide and stranger rape cases. It was in the review team where I developed my interest in the decision-making process within serious and major crime investigations. Being lucky enough to review, and bring to court, cases dating back as far as 1967 I have been able to access the investigative decision-making process across half a century of unsolved crime.

After completing a Post Graduate Certificate in Higher and Professional Education (distinction) and then retiring from the Police I took up my role in the Institute of Policing. I led the development of the first to market direct entry detective programme under the Police Education and Qualifications Framework and have been engaged designing and developing the MSc Investigation Practice for which I am Course lead. I am also course lead for the Serious and Complex Investigator Degree Apprenticeship programme. I have been course lead for the partnership delivered programmes with West Mercia Police; Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship, Degree Holder Entry Programme, and the Detective Constable Degree Holder Entry Programme. In September 2026 I take over as course lead also for these Programmes in Warwickshire Police.

My research interest has always been around police decision making and the drivers behind the education of police decision making. I am currently studying for a Professional Doctorate in Education, my research being the impact of higher education programmes for policing on the operational decision-making process.