Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Universities and police join forces
The one-day symposium, which runs from 9.30am to 3.45pm at the University’s Broadcasting Place building, will focus on the opportunities available for developing effective and mutually-beneficial relationships between universities and police organisations.
Police professionals and academics will speak at the event, presenting their own case studies, research and partnership projects as well as discussing opportunities for the future.
Academic presentations from Leeds Beckett will cover the University’s crime and policing research, research partnership working, and policing projects; whilst Professor Nick Fyfe from the University of Dundee will also highlight the Scottish example of how police and universities in Scotland are working together.
Local police organisations presenting their experiences will include: Detective Inspector Andy Staniforth, Head of West Yorkshire for Innovation, speaking about research opportunities with West Yorkshire Police, Fraser Sampson, Chief Executive and Solicitor of the Office of Police and Crime Commissioner, talking about their organisation’s priorities; and Chris Joyce from West Yorkshire Police’s Crime Prevention Office, talking about how they are applying academic research to their operational policing.
The event will provide networking opportunities for academics and practitioners interested in collaborating on research and partnership projects in West Yorkshire.
Dr Tom Cockcroft, co-organiser of the event, commented: “At Leeds Beckett, we have academic staff with a proven track record in working with the police, researching the police and publishing in the area of policing. We hope that the symposium will promote greater dialogue and engagement between the university and police organisations with a specific focus on the challenges of contemporary policing.”
Professor John Craig, Head of the School of Social, Psychological and Communication Sciences at Leeds Beckett, added: “It is important that social science research is not just about the society in which we live, but also contributes to its improvement. At Leeds Beckett University, we are committed to working with partners such as the police to enhance community wellbeing. The symposium is an important step in taking forward this partnership and further developing the links between research and practice.”
In July this year, Leeds Beckett University received £640,000 in financial backing from the Police Knowledge Fund to investigate ways of improving the effectiveness of investigating cybercrime. The research, led by Dr Z. Cliffe Schreuders, will see Leeds Beckett academics work in close collaboration with West Yorkshire Police.
For more information about the symposium, please email suzanne.young@leedsbeckett.ac.uk.