About Us

The Executive Commitee
The Executive Committee has overall responsibility for ensuring that the Institute meets its key objectives in relation to research, knowledge transfer, capacity building and long term sustainability.

Profiles of the members of the Executive Committee are presented below.

 

Director of SIPR

Professor Nick Fyfe, School of Social Sciences, University of Dundee

Nick Fyfe has spent over twenty years involved in policing research, focusing on issues ranging from mechanisms of police-community consultation to the implications of closed circuit television surveillance. He has carried out several research projects for the Home Office and Scottish Executive, including the evaluation of the Strathclyde Police Witness Protection Programme and an international review of measures to facilitate witness co-operation in organised crime investigations. His books include Crime, Policing and Place: Essays in Environmental Criminology (Routledge,1992) and Protecting Intimidated Witnesses (Ashgate, 2001)

 

Associate Directors

Police-Community Relations Network:

Dr Pat Cronin, School of Psychology, University of Abertay

Pat Cronin is a lecturer in Psychology at the University of Abertay. He has extensive experience in the area of policing research. More precisely, he has been involved in investigating police decision making at the strategic, tactical and operational levels of command, and how these decisions are affected by accountability concerns to internal and external audiences. In addition, he has worked as a consultant for a number of forces developing new strategies and tactics for crowd control.

 

Evidence & Investigation Network:

Professor Jim Fraser, University of Strathclyde

Jim Fraser is Professor of forensic science and Director of the University of Strathclyde's Centre for Forensic Science. He is Chair of the European Academy of Forensic Science and a past President of the Forensic Science Society. He has extensive experience as an expert witness in criminal courts in the UK and has been involved in many high profile cases. Professor Fraser has significant experience in strategic and policy matters in relation to forensic science in the UK and internationally and has advised a range of agencies on forensic, scientific and investigative matters. His main research and teaching areas centre on the relationship between science and law and the contribution of science to policing and criminal justice.

 

Police Organization Network:

Dr Ken Scott, University of the West of Scotland

Dr Kenneth Scott is Director of the Centre for Criminal Justice and Police Studies, University of the West of Scotland. A graduate of both Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities, he has a lengthy involvement in the delivery of HE programmes to serving police officers. Is co-editor of the book Policing Scotland (Willan Publishing) and has published on aspects of Scottish policing such as accountability, governance and organisation.

 

Scottish Police Service representatives

Police-Community Relations Network:

Neil Richardson, Deputy Chief Constable, Strathclyde Police

Neil Richardson was appointed Deputy Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police in July 2008, having previously served with Lothian and Borders Police since 1985. He gained experience within several policing disciplines including secondment to the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, and responsibility as ACC with Lothian & Borders for Territorial Policing. Neil has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Open University, MBA with distinction from Napier University and a Diploma in Applied Criminology from Cambridge University.

 

Evidence & Investigation Network:

Tom Nelson, Scottish Police Services Authority

Tom has been a Forensic Scientist for 25 years. Fifteen of those years were spent with the Northern Ireland Forensic Science Laboratory. He started work in chemistry but later developed an expertise in fire investigation. He has also worked extensively in the paint, glass and general chemistry departments. He has been heavily involved in shaping the new forensic service over the past few years. Tom previously held the post of head of Lothian Borders Police Forensic Science Support Department and has recently been appointed Director of the new Scottish Forensic Science Service.

 

Police Organization Network:

Pat Shearer, Chief Constable, Dumfries and Galloway

Pat Shearer was appointed Chief Constable of Dumfries and Galloway in May 2007, having served previously as Deputy Chief Constable of Grampian Police where he had more than 23 years' service, starting in 1983 as a constable on uniformed duties within Aberdeen. He is extremely passionate about making a positive impact and is strongly committed to tackling local issues. He is the ACPOS Chair of the Police Management Business Area.

 

Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research representative:

Professor Michele Burman, University of Glasgow

Michele has long-standing research interests in gender, crime and criminal justice, in particular the law of evidence, the investigation and prosecution of gendered violence, young female offenders, and ethics and emotionality in research.

 

Business and Knowledge Transfer Manager, SIPR:

Tim Heilbronn, School of Social Sciences, University of Dundee

Tim has a background in Life Sciences, and 22 years experience working in a high quality research environment, 11 of which were as the first point of contact as Deputy Head of Scientific Liaison and Information Services at the Scottish Crop Research Institute. In addition to his role at SIPR, he also acts as Professional Conference Organiser for the Association for Crop Protection in Northern Britain.

 

Scottish Funding Council:

Ann Millar