Crossword Genius

Circulate police officers as such (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

disperse

'circulate' is the definition.
(I know that circulate can be written as disperse)

'police officers as such' is the wordplay.
'police officers' becomes 'DIs' (detective inspectors).
'as such' becomes 'per se' (synonyms).
'dis'+'perse'='DISPERSE'

(Other definitions for disperse that I've seen before include "Broadcast" , "'Break up, spread out (8)'" , "Scatter, dispel" , "Spread widely" , "Thin out and disappear" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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