Twitter Feed

The Dundee University Postgraduate Policing Research Network

By: Lorna Dennison-Wilkins

Post Graduate Research Student, Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification, University of Dundee.

The first roundtable event of the Dundee University Postgraduate Policing Research Network was held at the beginning of October 2017.  The event was organised by Amy Humphrey and opened by Professor Nick Fyfe and newly appointed Honorary Professor Derek Penman.   Four research students and I gave a short presentation of our field of work and these areas were then examined with focused discussion amongst all participants along the themes of ‘How can the research influence and inform policing’ and ‘The challenges of engaging with policy and practice’.

The topics presented and discussed were:

  1. Forensic Jewellery. Maria MacLennan. Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification. UoD.
  2. (In)visibility in Missing. Joe Apps. National Crime Agency / Prof.Doc, UoD.
  3. Predictions of Human Body Movement in Inland Waterways. Lorna Dennison-Wilkins. Sussex Police / Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification. UoD.
  4. An Exploration of Behavioural Consistency in Repeat Missing Adults. Claire Taylor.  Psychology, Abertay University.
  5. Networks, Boundaries and Success in Policing Contributions to Missing Persons. Amy Humphrey. Human Geography, UoD.

Attendees were a combination of students and staff from various disciplines at Dundee and Abertay Universities, and Police colleagues in practitioner and academic roles. The advantages of having such a diverse range of participants were clear when the discussion took place.  The roundtable was interesting, enjoyable and informative as it allowed for wide ranging contributions; the format of short presentations and resulting discussions allowed the attendees to benefit from a great deal of learning in a relatively short space of time.

From a personal perspective I was delighted to be able to present my work though I found keeping to the 5-minute time slot a challenge and trying to get the salient points across with brevity is a skill in itself (I need practice on this one!).  The resulting discussion from all presenters raised really salient points, one of which relevant to my research of body movement in water – the crossover of my research field into geography – resulted in my referral to a representative from the geography department, a thought provoking meeting and the download of a new book chapter.

Policing perspective points were interesting and useful and it was obvious that these varied according to police area.  Honorary Professor Derek Penman gave a rich consideration in his viewpoints, using his past experience and knowledge as a senior police officer in Police Scotland and that of his present role as a policing inspectorate officer and now a member of the University.

As a remote (part time) student I was so pleased to be involved in this event so that I could join with like-minded people. I valued the opportunity to hear the presentations of the other contributors and to see that although our research areas differ, our challenges bear great similarities.  Although the event lasted for some hours, it felt like it had gone by so quickly, so a ‘debrief’ was initiated at the pub across the road and debate and learning continued with beer in hand.

It was agreed by all that the event was a great success and should be repeated in the future.  Many thanks to SIPR for hosting the occasion.

Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License

Social Share:

Other Latest News

Seldom Heard Voices: Community Impact Event 

01/05/2023

In 2021, SIPR, Police Scotland and Scottish Police Authority funded 5 grants to support research into ‘Seldom Heard’ communities. On Wednesday 26th April, we hosted a collaborative event to present the final research projects to an audience of academics, community members, NGO members, and Police Scotland staff and serving officers. First up, Kirsty Forrester from Dundee City Council and Dr Jonathan Mendel from the University of Dundee discussed their collaborative research with BAME communities and serving officers, highlighting the need for trust. Second, Dr Andrew Williams from St. Andrews and Inspector Jason Peter from the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit presented their ‘Photovoice’ Project which aimed to encourage young people in areas of inequality to engage with their community by taking pictures. Third, Dr Julie Berg and Emily Mann from University of Glasgow and University of Edinburgh respectively presented their project’ Accounting for Complexities: an Intersectional Approach to Enhancing Police Practitioner Accountability, Legitimacy & Sustainable Reform’. Fourth, Professor James Moir and Dr Corinne Jola from Abertay University focus on the topic of empathy with LGBT youth who are care experienced or are from other disadvantaged background. Finally, Bryony Nisbet from Queen Margaret University presented her and Dr Nicole Vidal’s research into refugee and asylum-seeker experiences, trust and confidence with Police Scotland. Following the presentations, representatives from Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority were invited to reflect on the findings and recommendations, and to provide assurances of the SPA and Police Scotland’s ongoing commitment to the communities and the issues raised. Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond, said: “This important research underlines our commitment to listening to all our communities so we can continually improve how we represent, reflect and serve them. “Providing every citizen with a just and effective police service is fundamental to policing legitimacy and to our ability to keep people safe. “A great strength of Police Scotland is that our officers and staff are drawn from different backgrounds and experiences. What unites us is our shared and non-negotiable set of values – integrity, fairness, respect and a commitment to upholding human rights. “I am grateful to everyone who contributed to this work and we are already considering the recommendations made so that we can continue to design our services to best meet the needs of our communities.” Tom Halpin from the Scottish Police Authority said “The Authority is committed to policing in the public interest, to do that we must understand public views, opinions, and concerns. The research published today will allow us to gain more insight into where to target our activity and attention to ensure we build the strongest relationships we can with all communities in Scotland.” SIPR Director Liz Aston underlined SIPR’s commitment stating that “SIPR will continue to support the dissemination of these important research findings in order to ensure that they impact policing policy and practice”. SIPR hopes to continue to support research into Seldom Heard Communities.

Announcement

28/04/2023

After seven years as a SIPR Associate Director, Professor Denise Martin has made the difficult decision to step down.

SIPR Associate Director

28/04/2023

Following Professor Denise Martin’s decision to step down from her role as SIPR Associate Director and lead of the Education and Leadership network, SIPR is now inviting applications from prospective candidates to take on this role.

SIPR Newsletter Sign Up

You will be added to our mailing list to keep you updated with future events and activities from the Scottish Institute for Policing Research

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. For further information please read our Privacy Policy.