De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) is set to share in Home Office funding awarded to improve research in policing.
The money has come from the £10m Police Knowledge Fund, launched by the College of Policing, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Home Office.
The East Midlands Policing Academic Collaboration (EMPAC) will implement a regional programme of policing-related research and strengthen relationships across universities and police forces in the East Midlands.
It aims to improve understanding of crime and policing issues, develop new ways of policing and innovatively translate research findings into practice
The bid was led by the University of Northampton. Collaborating partners are Leicester University, the University of Derby, Loughborough University, Nottingham Trent and University of Lincoln. The programme also involves five police forces including Leicestershire Police and five police and crime commissioners.
DMU is home to the Policing Research Group is a multi-disciplinary group which works with local, national and international forces to consider the challenges facing modern policing.
Its work has included research on stop and search; ways of reducing violence in cities at night and rehabilitation of serious offenders.
Lead Police Force spokesperson for EMPAC, Leicestershire Constabulary’s Assistant Chief Constable Phil Kay, said: ”This is an exciting partnership between the regional universities and police forces. The funding will enable the collaboration to build upon the great work it has already done to date. It will also have a direct impact upon policing policy and practice”.
Police and Crime Commissioner, Sir Clive Loader said: “ This award of funding is a positive achievement for us that we are moving forward as a Force by working with other universities and forces gaining valuable input from all parties. This will enable us to put the funding we have received to its best use in order to better policing and reducing crime”
Alan Charles, Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner, who is the lead PCC for EMPAC, said: “This is fantastic news which will allow us to move forward with a strategic programme of research. This will formally combine expertise across universities and police forces in the East Midlands. It provides a real opportunity to make a difference to policing and the lives of those living in our communities by carrying out new, ground-breaking research and translating this into practice”.
EMPAC will work closely with existing regional policing organisations and the Scottish Institute for Policing Research (SIPR).
Posted on Wednesday 5 August 2015