Regional Hub for Policing Research and Knowledge Exchange

Overview

The project, funded through the College of Policing’s Innovation Capacity Building Fund, aims to establish and formalise a regional network of research and innovation in policing. This will serve as a platform for collaborations between universities, PCCs, police forces and partner organisations in research, knowledge exchange and training opportunities across the north of England.

The project will:

• coordinate and facilitate the exploitation of opportunities for research, knowledge exchange and skills training
• provide for coproduction between researchers and end-users in the process of research design and implementation, grant capture and evidence gathering and dissemination
• deliver collaborative primary research which addresses contemporary policing  challenges and perennial issues
• provide the basis for programmes of knowledge exchange, training and workshops/courses to support innovation and the use of research evidence to address policing problems in new ways
• enable opportunities for the utilisation of research evidence in policing and the development of wider research skills.

Work will be focused on the following eight themes, led by academics from across the N8 Policing Research Partnership:

Cyber-crime: contacts Corinne May-Chahal and David Wall

Drugs and alcohol:contacts Charlie Lloyd and Fiona Measham

Serious and organised crime: contacts Stuart Kirby and Stephen Brookes 

Domestic violence: contacts Nicole Westmarland and David Gadd 

Public order and crowd management: contacts Clifford Stott and Geoff Pearson

Critical incidents decision-making: contacts Laurence Alison and David Allen

Partnerships: contacts Bethan Loftus and Layla Skinns

Community engagement: contacts Stuart Lister and Andrew Staniforth

The principal activities will entail:

• For each theme, a rapid review of research evidence, mapping of ongoing research, identification of research priorities and publication of a short summary report
• Thematic events/workshops with operational level police and partners in different locations across the north of England
• Exploring the possibilities for and/or pilot training sessions and innovative approaches to police officer learning and the development of training materials.