The University of Leeds, partnered with the University of York, has been chosen by the National Police Chief’s Council to host one of nine national Policing Academic Centres of Excellence.
The new Policing Academic Centre of Excellence (P-ACEs) combines multi-disciplinary research and innovation from both universities to equip police and partners with the best research evidence available.
The Centre will draw on Leeds’ and York’s pioneering policing academic collaborations, extensive professional and academic networks, cutting-edge research co-production, knowledge exchange and impact work. This work has been forged by the universities across two decades, notably through the N8 Policing Research Partnership and the ESRC Vulnerability & Policing Futures Research Centre.
Working closely with police forces, the nine P-ACEs will drive further collaboration between academia and policing, ensure that policing is shaped by the latest scientific expertise, and that leading researchers are able to challenge and innovate in partnership with police as they strive to improve public safety.
It will build upon internationally renowned existing centres of research excellence from across both institutions with relevance for the future of policing, including the Leeds Institute for Data Analytics and Priestley Centre for Climate Futures at Leeds and the York Environmental Sustainability Institute and Centre for Reviews and Dissemination at York.
Professor Dan Birks, from the University of Leeds’ School of Law, has been appointed to lead the new Yorkshire centre, alongside Professor Adam Crawford, who will lead at York.
Professor Birks said: “We are delighted with this investment by the National Police Chief’s Council, which builds on a strong foundation of interdisciplinary policing research at Leeds and York.
“The centre of excellence will bring together complementary strengths from both universities, offering extensive expertise in four key areas of modern policing: crime prevention, public trust, data analytics and climate change. It will also oversee a fund to support research and evidence synthesis aligned with these policing priorities.”
Professor Nick Plant, Pro-Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation at the University of Leeds, said:
“This prestigious recognition underscores the significant impact of our collaborative research efforts, particularly with our esteemed colleagues at the University of York. We are confident that this initiative will not only advance our understanding of critical issues but also contribute to the development of strategies that promote a safer society for all.”
New Technologies, Tools and Techniques
Each Policing Academic Centre of Excellence will be promoted across the policing sector as an accessible source of leading academic experts aligned with Policing’s Areas of Research Interest and evidence needs.
The P-ACEs will support policing to adopt new technologies, develop new tools and techniques, improve training and skills, and increase public safety.
The Centre will provide expertise in the following key areas of research interest:
- Crime Prevention: county lines; online child sexual exploitation; domestic abuse; modern slavery, mental health; violence against women and girls; knife crime; domestic violence; child-to-parent violence; youth crime, anti-social behaviour and early intervention.
- Public Trust: public perceptions; police legitimacy; minimum policing standards; procedural justice; trust and confidence among minoritised and marginalised communities.
- Data Analytics: spatio-temporal concentrations of crime; public-service data linkage; crime risk forecasting; AI-driven analyses of unstructured police data; police demand modelling; risk assessment tools.
- Climate Change: responding to global warming; scenario planning; climate adaptation; climate mitigation and sustainable policing futures; partnership working and community resilience; net zero challenges.
Professor Paul Taylor, National Police Chief Scientific Adviser, said: “Academia and policing have a long history of collaborative working on issues as diverse as forensic science, crime prevention, and analytical technologies. The P-ACEs will fortify this connection, providing a focal point for research and knowledge exchange.
“I’m particularly excited about what the P-ACEs can bring to early career scientists who are interested in tackling the complex challenge of keeping the UK public safe. The P-ACE community will, I hope, provide them more opportunities and greater support as we look to forge deep and lasting partnerships over the next decade.”
Further information
For media enquiries please contact University of Leeds press officer Morgan Buswell via email on m.buswell@leeds.ac.uk or by phone on 0113 3438059.
Further details of the Policing Academic Centres can be found here.