Police and law enforcement

East Midlands Violence Reduction Information Network 

The East Midlands Violence Reduction Information Network is (VRIN) is a collaboration between academics and practitioners from the five East Midlands forces that comprise the East Midlands Policing Academic Collaboration (EMPAC).

Funded by an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Impact Accelerator Accounts (IAA) strategic fund grant, VRIN aims to develop knowledge and share information concerning the prevention and reduction of public space violence which will have a positive influence on policing operations in the region and beyond.

Hate Crime: Transforming Practice

Hate crime is an urgent global priority for governments, lawmakers and practitioners, with many parts of the world experiencing a sustained increase in the prevalence of recorded hate crimes following recent trigger events, including the rise of far right and nationalist movements, a growth of terrorist-related incidents, and the COVID-19 crisis. Research by Chakraborti, Hardy and Allen at the (CHS) has substantially enhanced awareness and understanding of hate crime and its associated harms amongst a broad range of beneficiaries including victims, witnesses, practitioners, and policy-makers from different sectors. This research has also improved responses to victims and perpetrators through the development of new strategies, changes to reporting mechanisms, and evidence-based training and interventions. Some examples of how the CHS has worked with Police and law enforcement agencies can be found on the Centre for Hate Studies website.

Crime Linkage: Building Better Policy, Practice and Law Through Interdisciplinary Research

Most crime is committed by a minority of serial offenders. The analysis of criminal behaviour using crime linkage can identify repeat perpetrators and increase the likelihood of resolving multiple crimes at once, streamlining police investigations. Dr Tonkin’s research into crime linkage has changed policy, practice, and the law in the UK, New Zealand, Belgium, and Sweden.

The research has enhanced crime linkage practice at multiple stages, from data collection and storage to the application of crime linkage techniques during ongoing police investigations. Ultimately, enhanced crime linkage ensures that the public are better protected from victimisation and enables greater access to justice for victims. For more information on this work, please contact Dr Matthew Tonkin.

Transforming sex industry regulation, policing and safeguarding practice

Research by Sanders has transformed the regulation of the sex work industry. Historically, police and health practitioners focussed on physical environments as the primary location where crimes against sex workers occurred and support interventions were required. Sanders’s research has catalysed a shift in emphasis to digital spaces, which now form the primary location of the sex work market. This scholarship has fostered positive change in policies, practices and interventions focused on online sex worker safety. Sanders’s research has transformed approaches to supporting the health and safety of online sex workers to improve support for those who are victims of crime and how the police engage with sex workers. For more information on this work, please contact Professor Teela Sanders.