Policing Academic Centre of Excellence

The University of Portsmouth’s (UoP) proposed Policing Academic Centre of Excellence (P-ACE) is uniquely positioned to deliver the transformative collaboration outlined in the NPCC Science and Technology Strategy. With an unparalleled breadth of leading specialist expertise and award-winning partnerships, we exemplify excellence in impact-led research, innovation and learning. Additional funding would significantly enhance our capacity to strengthen our academic-policing networks and pioneer cutting-edge research. Our proven ability to generate impactful, interdisciplinary research and embed evidence-based practice means our involvement in the P-ACE project is essential to mobilising a policing community to overcome the challenges of engagement with the research and innovation (R&I) system. Our P-ACE will: 1) enhance its academic-policing partnerships through knowledge mobilisation, 2) undertake and embed pioneering research, and 3) drive ongoing research capacity and the development of police science literacy. Our School of Criminology and Criminal Justice is the largest UK criminology department (over 80 staff, over 1000 undergraduate, 300 postgraduate, 100 doctoral students) and pursues ground-breaking, science-led research in forensic science, crime scene investigations, cybercrime, artificial intelligence (AI), AI ethics, economic crime, crime prevention, victim support, forensic interviewing, diversity and representation, missing persons, wildlife crime, violence against women and girls (VAWG), extremism, policing cultures, and trust and confidence. This work is enhanced by cross-faculty UoP specialists in crime prediction tools, 3D imaging, cybersecurity, forensic accounting, machine-learning (ML), applied cognitive psychology, information elicitation, ML data discovery, phishing, facial recognition and eyewitness identification, biometrics, remote sensing and Internet of Things crime prevention. With this extensive expertise, our P-ACE will focus on these Areas of Research Interest (ARIs): Enduring Challenges: Building and Maintaining Public Trust Crime Prevention Identification and Tracing Surveillance and Sensing We will build upon the success of our award-winning research, innovation and learning partnership of 14 years with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary (HIOWC) along with new partners, Thames Valley Police (TVP). Our P-ACE, with its Project Lead (PL), eleven Co-Leads (PcL), project partners (Police Foundation and Society for Evidence-Based Policing) and interdisciplinary experts from across science, technology and social sciences will connect with our policing partners to pursue three Agendas: EVIDENCE: generating impactful research evidence addressing policing priorities through interdisciplinary collaboration and alignment with strategic needs, ENGAGEMENT: supporting research accessibility and connecting practitioners and researchers to enhance collaboration and ensure impact, EDUCATIONAL ENRICHMENT: developing existing and future researchers and policing professionals to sustain evidence-based practice. To facilitate this, we have established six integrated and complementary workstreams, with clear objectives based upon the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and led by world-class to early-in-career policing researchers (ECRs). Governance: Providing strategic leadership, ethical oversight, partnership management and compliance with research standards to support P-ACE activities. Policing Futures Programme: Promoting innovation and collaboration between UoP and our policing partners through co-produced researcher and practitioner events and new research funding opportunities. Policing Partnership Exchange: Facilitating a knowledge pipeline via the mobilisation of bi-directional evidence, data, students and personnel, celebrating these exchanges via an annual student-led festival. Research Support Service: Providing expert guidance on research design, ethics and EDI while building capacity through postgraduate research student (PGR) development. Evidence-Based Practice Academy: Enhancing research capability within the policing academic and practitioner community through structured training, public engagement events and continuing professional development. Insight to Impact: Promoting the integration of evidence into practice through active and innovative dissemination strategies.