Directed police offensive (6)
![Ross](/clue/static/ross-mug.min.png)
I believe the answer is:
rancid
'offensive' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
'directed police' is the wordplay.
'directed' becomes 'ran' (running is a kind of directing).
'police' becomes 'cid'.
'ran'+'cid'='RANCID'
(Other definitions for rancid that I've seen before include "Fetid" , "(Of butter) stale" , "(Of fats) stale" , "Sour - smelling bad" , "Like fat that's gone off" .)