Solution Oriented Policing Group

The Solution-Oriented Policing Group at De Montfort University is a team of world-leading experts in Strategic Community Safety, Public Security, Organized Crime Business Analysis, and Police Leadership. It is a specialist consultancy network and community of practice that partners with law enforcement agencies to reimagine security futures through collaborative and research-informed interventions.

Our approach is underpinned by lateral thinking, reflexive practice, collaborative innovation, prosocial agency, and co-creating sustainable safety solutions with stakeholders.

The group is housed within Leicester Castle Business School (a globally commended business school), as our work addresses the reality that contemporary crime operates as business enterprises, where police need to work on strategic disruption of criminal supply chains, financial infrastructures, and market vulnerabilities. We equip law enforcement leaders with the business acumen and research literacy needed to counter crime-as-business effectively.

Consultancy Network

Our team includes distinguished scholars, pracademics, senior consultants, senior law enforcement officials, policy advisors, and internationally recognized experts. Our network rapid mobilizes world-class expertise that is tailored to your specific operational challenges.

  1. Leadership Team

    Dr Ahmad Al-Hiari (Co-Founder & Lead)

    Lecturer in Leadership and Founder of the DMU Policy Unit. EMPAC Senior Research Fellow. Expert in Elite Interviewing and Anti-corruption Policy. Visiting Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Corruption, University of Sussex. His work focuses on public governance, policy transfer, policy failure and developing government capacity to respond to administrative challenges.

    Professor John Coxhead (Co-Founder)

    Visiting/Hon Professor at 4 UK Universities. UN Geneva representative for International Police Executive Symposium (IPES), Queen's Award recipient for Police Innovation, National Crime Agency (NCA) and INTERPOL researcher on Organised Crime Businesses. Expert in developing solution-oriented policing frameworks internationally and in criminal ethnography.

    Professor Ruwan Uduwerage-Perera (Co-Founder)

    Local Councillor (Brora, Scotland), Visiting Professor (DMU & Staffordshire), and Emeritus Professor (Rashtriya Raksha University), First National Black Police Association General Secretary. Extensive networks across Indian subcontinent and UK government sectors. Expert in equality, diversity, community engagement, and police education development.

    Professor Rob Nixon CBE QPM DL

    Former Leicestershire Chief Constable (2022-2025), 32-year police career. NPCC Criminal Justice lead. Queen’s Police Medal 2020, Deputy Lieutenant. Created nationally-recognised Team Leicestershire Academy. Expert in police transformation and innovation. Led force through COVID-19 pandemic as strategic coordination lead, introduced cloud infrastructure and AI capabilities, established Prevention Directorate tackling root causes of crime.

    Dr Monty Mountford OBE

    Researcher at DMU with 35 years’ military experience in communications and intelligence, spending 24 years in Regular Army. Led specialist intelligence units across tactical to strategic levels including Whitehall. Collaborates with East Midlands police forces on evidence-based serious and organised crime disruption strategies. PhD graduate specialising in sense-making as source of novelty in tackling serious and organised crime.

    Dr Ed Thompson

    Associate Professor and Lead author of ‘The Business Environment: A Global Perspective’ - best selling textbook on business context in UK. Expert on Police Austerity Governance & Crisis Management. Member of Chartered Association of Business Schools Apprenticeships Committee, reviewer for QAA, and external examiner and validation panel member for UK HEIs.

  2. Community of Practice

    Professor Niven Rennie

    Former Chief Superintendent and Director of Scottish Violence Reduction Unit. Founder and Director of Social Impact Scotland, Honorary Professor at University of East London, and expert in public health approaches to violence reduction. Advises globally on violence reduction methodologies. Scotland reduced homicides by 39% through holistic partnership approaches under his leadership.

    Professor Garth den Heyer

    Professor at Arizona State University, Visiting Professor at DMU, and Senior Research Fellow at National Policing Institute (Washington DC). 38 years policing experience including Chief Inspector rank. Expert in police economics, counter-terrorism, organised crime, and police effectiveness measurement. Strong track record of successful US grants for research and consultancy.

    Professor Rob McCusker

    Head of School at Charles Sturt University (Australia), former Professor and Head of Policing Division at DMU. Retained expert for INTERPOL, Council of Europe, and US State Department. Expertise in transnational organised crime, money laundering, terrorism, and international criminal justice cooperation.

    Professor Terry O’Connell

    Global pioneer in restorative policing and justice from New South Wales, Australia. Holds multiple Honorary Doctorates and Professorships internationally. Adapted the New Zealand family group conferencing model for policing contexts. Former Director of Real Justice Australia (IIRP). Churchill Fellowship recipient. Widely known as the "cop from Wagga Wagga" who developed the IIRP Real Justice restorative conference model.

    Professor Tom Ellis

    Visiting Professor (Public Security) in Japan and China. Former Principal Lecturer at University of Portsmouth Institute of Criminal Justice Studies (now SCCJ). Expertise includes Japanese criminal justice systems, youth justice, prisons, race and diversity in policing. Former Home Office researcher. Consultant for Chinese public security police on research and evaluation of emerging crime trends.

    Professor Paul Betts

    Three decades as a police officer, retired as Detective Chief Superintendent. Former National Prevent Coordinator at Counter Terrorism Policing Headquarters. Senior Lecturer at Westminster Law School, Honorary Professor at Birmingham Law School, and Policing Team Lead at Rabdan Academy (UAE). Expert in counter-terrorism and strategic policing.

    Professor Stan Gilmour KPM

    Professor at Keele University and Senior Research Fellow at University of Exeter. Former Thames Valley Violence Reduction Unit Director. NPCC Risk Technology lead developing the Common Data Platform. Founder and CEO of Oxon Advisory. Expert in data-driven policing and violence reduction. Neurocriminologist.

    Dr Chris Allen

    Visiting Research Fellow at DMU. Director of Criminis Training and Consultancy. Member of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime Network of Experts. Learning and Instructional Design Consultant for the Metropolitan Police Service. Former Senior Lecturer and Consultant at the London Policing College, delivering training to law enforcement in Cambodia, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, and Brazil.

    Gary Stuart

    Independent global public safety consultant transforming public and police experience through citizen-centric approaches to create smarter policing. Managing Director of GHK Global Advisory. Over 20 years’ experience in police transformation and advisory services in the UK and Australia. PhD candidate examining bias in decision making using missing children as the test area.

    David Hill

    Senior Research Fellow and Programme Director of the East Midlands Police Academic Collaboration (EMPAC). Former Northamptonshire Police Superintendent and Ministry of Defence Police officer. 27 years policing experience. Visiting Fellow at University of Northampton. Expert in change management, organisational development, and emotional intelligence in policing.

    Shane Roberts

    Architect of the Clear-Hold-Build methodology for tackling Serious Organised Crime. Retired Detective Superintendent with 30 years UK policing experience. Home Office CHB Lead. PhD candidate at DMU. RUSI Senior Associate Fellow.

    Paul Matthews

    PFEW National Board Member with lead responsibilities for Leadership, Culture and Workloads, Non-Executive Director at College of Policing, and Deputy Secretary of the National Detective Forum. Experienced Detective Sergeant with 20+ years Met Police experience. PhD candidate at DMU researching fractious leadership and its effects on police culture.

    Dr Tony Kearon

    Former Director of Education for Criminology, Sociology, and Education at Keele University. Over 30 years in academic criminology and 12 years as an elected local government member and Community Safety Partnership chair. Police and Crime Panel member. Honorary Senior Fellow. Expertise in community safety governance. Candidate for Staffordshire PCC election (2021).

    Dr Martin Wright

    Honorary Professor at Bangor University. Former police officer with 30 years’ service. Creator of the Retail Radio Link and Virtual Police Volunteers Programme. Only police officer awarded an ABI Doctoral Scholarship. Series Editor for Routledge Advances in Police Practice and Knowledge. Former Director of the Central Institute for the Study of Public Protection and Head of Uniformed Services at University of Wolverhampton.

    Dr Simon Fox

    Head of Department for Policing, Criminology and Forensics at University of Winchester. Over 25 years’ experience across criminology, policing, law, and forensic science. Chair of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary Ethics Committee. Author of BSI PAS 5222:2024 standards.

    Ian Davidson

    Former Detective Superintendent with Derbyshire Police. Independent researcher specialising in policing and criminal justice. Extensive operational experience in serious crime investigation and police leadership. Focused on evidence-based policing methods.

    John Marriott

    Senior Lecturer and former Detective Sergeant with over 20 years’ policing experience specialising in safeguarding vulnerable persons. Programme Lead for Degree Holder Entry Programme at University of East London. Leads undergraduate modules in mental health and criminal investigations.

    Dr Howard Atkin

    Former Senior Lecturer in Policing at University of Huddersfield. Former UK Police Detective with 45 years’ experience in criminal investigation, intelligence, and analysis. Designed the UK’s National Intelligence Analysis Training programmes. Established the world’s first Criminal Intelligence Analysis master’s degree. UN and Council of Europe expert on intelligence analysis.

    Alex Paradise

    Former Senior Lecturer in Criminal Justice at University of East London and Assistant Diocesan Safeguarding Officer at the Church of England Diocese of Derby. Former Investigator at Leicestershire Police. Expertise in safeguarding and criminal investigations. External Examiner for the Institute of Policing at University of Staffordshire.

    Professor Elizabeth Mytton

    Emerita Professor of Legal Education at Southampton Solent University. Over 30 years teaching criminal law. Former Vice Chair of Dorset Police and Crime Panel. Witness support volunteer. Board of Governors designated safeguarding lead.

    Dr Kelly Sundberg

    Professor at Mount Royal University, Associate Professor at University of Calgary, and Fellow of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. Over fourteen years’ experience in Canadian government border security, policy development, and advisory roles.

    Dr Nathanael Webb

    Experienced financial investigator with over 20 years fighting serious organised crime. Former HM Revenue & Customs, Serious Organised Crime Agency, NCA, and IACCC. Holds a Professional Doctorate in International Criminal Justice and an MSc in Forensic Accountancy.

    Dr Michael Harrison

    Senior Lecturer in Economics and Finance at UEL. Research focuses on non-cooperative interaction in financial markets with high-frequency algorithmic traders. Expert in green finance, financial crime, and sustainable FinTech. Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

    Dr Sarah Pancholi

    Associate Professor of Criminology at the University of Leicester. BPS Chartered and HCPC Registered Forensic Psychologist. Co-author of "Charting a Course from Problem-Oriented Policing to Solution-Oriented Practice". Specialist in rehabilitation and desistance.

    Rozina Iqbal

    PhD Research Scholar at Queen Mary University of London. Principal Investigator for Atmiyata East London project. Lead lecturer for Crime and Punishment module at UEL. Director of Operations at Newham Community Project. Community engagement specialist.

    Abdul-Hye Miah

    Senior Lecturer in Criminal Justice at University of Northampton. 30-year Metropolitan Police career including Counter Terrorism, Hostage Negotiation, Anti-Corruption, and Special Branch. Member of London Policing Ethics Panel and Advance HE Race Equality Charter Panel.

  3. International Collaborators (Indian Subcontinent)

    Dr Dimple Raval

    Professor, Dean of Extension & Distance Learning at Rashtriya Raksha University, India. Senior Faculty of Law, School of Security, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice. Former Head of Law Department. Leading solution-oriented practice adoption in India.

    Dr Keshav Kumar

    Emeritus Professor at India’s Rashtriya Raksha University, Advisor to Government of Assam. 35 years Indian Police Service. PhD in Forensic Psychology. Specialises in forensic application in crime investigation, achieving 62 convictions. Expert in Wildlife Crime Investigation. International trainer and consultant.

    Dr Debarati Halder

    Prominent Indian Professor of Law at National Forensic Sciences University. Extensive work in criminology, victimology, cybercrime. Expert in police interactions with victims, women, vulnerable populations. Advocates for victim-centric criminal justice system.

    Dr Manikandan Soundararajan

    PhD from the Institute of Policing - Staffordshire University, Research Associate at the University of Wolverhampton. PhD, MPhil and Master’s in Criminology. Research on undocumented migrants’ experiences and policing. Interests include migration, organised crime, victimology, social harm.

    Udayakumara Amarasinghe

    Head of Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka. DMU Policy Unit Fellow. Leading solution-oriented practice implementation in Sri Lankan contexts. Expert in South Asian criminal justice systems.

    Arsh G

    Campus Director (I/c) and Assistant Professor–Research (Criminology) at Rashtriya Raksha University, Puducherry Campus. MA Criminology specialising in Security Studies. Certified CPTED professional. Nodal officer between Indian police forces. Research areas include victimology and security studies.

    Dr Baidya Nath Mukherjee

    Law Professor with PhD and 7+ years academic experience. Published three books with Springer Nature, Routledge, Cambridge Scholars. 10+ peer-reviewed articles in SCOPUS-indexed journals. Expertise in international law, criminal law, police reforms.

    Dr Bhanu Prakash Nunna

    Assistant Professor of Psychology and Victimology at RV University, Bengaluru. Programme Director for Criminology, Cyber Law & Forensic Sciences. Secretary-General of World Society of Victimology. British Society of Criminology International Ambassador.

Our Approach

Our consultancy model operates through three interconnected pillars:

  • Solution-Oriented Practice: Grounded in collaborative action research methodologies that position communities and police as partners in co-designing safety futures and producing unique practice-based knowledge for sustainable impact.
  • Organized Crime Business (OCB): Developing enforcement strategies that target criminal enterprise vulnerabilities rather than focusing solely on individual offenders. OCB is endorsed by NPCC SOC portfolio and has has informed NCA operational strategies.
  • Leadership Development: Cultivating "pracademics" (professionals who bridge operational practice with academic research) capable of leading cultural transformation within policing organizations.

Our methodology embeds five founding principles:

  • Vision-Setting: Stakeholders articulate positive security futures
  • Integrated Praxis: Dissolving the theory-practice boundaries
  • Lateral Thinking: Approaching challenges from unexpected angles
  • Reflexive Practice: Systematic self-examination for driving improvement
  • Collaborative Innovation: Mobilizing collective knowledge through networked co-creation

Areas of Expertise

Our consultancy network delivers specialist capability across:

  • Strategic Community Safety & Public Security
  • Serious & Organized Crime Disruption
  • Police Leadership & Organizational Development
  • Counter-Terrorism & Violent Extremism
  • Restorative Justice & Community Engagement
  • Criminal Intelligence Analysis
  • Police Ethics & Governance
  • Violence Reduction Strategies
  • Transnational Crime & International Cooperation
  • Cybercrime & Financial Investigation
  • Community Intelligence
  • Safeguarding Vulnerable Persons
  • Data-Driven Policing
  • Crisis Negotiation & Conflict Resolution

Ongoing Collaborative Initiatives

Education & Professional Development

Developing executive-level Higher Education pathways tailored for senior police and security professionals globally. Creating massive open online courses (MOOCs) and CPD programmes to upskill police analysts and build internal technical capacity. Advancing leadership development grounded in Nolan Principles.

International Research & Implementation

Deploying solution-oriented practice in humanitarian contexts internationally. Capacity-building partnerships across the Indian subcontinent and Middle East. Developing strategic police education programmes with global law enforcement academies.

Knowledge Exchange & Infrastructure

Scaling the East Midlands Police-Academic Collaboration (EMPAC). Investigating how community advisory mechanisms can evolve into collaborative innovation spaces for co-designed safety strategies. Strengthening research engagement frameworks between universities and police forces.

Organized Crime & Security

Supporting Police forces through evaluation and advancement of enforcement frameworks. Developing business-focused paradigms for disrupting criminal enterprises through supply chain analysis.

Why Partner with Us?

  • Access to world-leading experts in policing, security, and organized crime
  • Operationally-focused consultancy grounded in real policing experience
  • Tailored solutions co-designed with your force’s specific challenges and context
  • Professional development pathways designed for executive-level strategic thinking
  • Business literacy and analytical frameworks to counter crime-as-business
  • Research-engaged leadership training that transforms organizational culture
  • Access to cutting-edge methodologies in violence reduction, community safety, and crime disruption
  • Global perspective on contemporary policing challenges and innovations

Our Value Proposition: We don’t just deliver reports, we co-create sustainable change. Our pracademic model grounds our solutions in academic rigor and operational viability. Whether you need strategic advice on serious organized crime, leadership development for senior officers, evaluation of prevention initiatives, or community engagement frameworks, our network mobilizes world-class expertise tailored to your needs.

Contact us

De Montfort University Policy Unit
Leicester Castle Business School
The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH
United Kingdom

Email: policyunit@dmu.ac.uk

Aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

Our work is grounded in ethical policing principles, community co-production, and evidence-based practice to build fair, safe, and sustainable societies.