Summary of the impact

Pioneering research by the Universities' Police Science Institute (UPSI) has made police more effective at understanding and responding to crime and disorder. UPSI's work has provided an evidence base about how to engage effectively with communities so that policing interventions target those issues influencing how people think, feel and act about their safety. Key impacts have been: changing Home Office policy for the policing of antisocial behaviour across England and Wales; informing the Prevent counter-terrorism strategy for the UK and overseas and improving the outcomes of South Wales Police's Neighbourhood Policing Teams.

Underpinning research

For the past six years, led by Professor Innes (Professor in Criminology, 2007 - current), the Universities' Police Science Institute (UPSI) has been conducting a research programme designed to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of Neighbourhood Policing. This refines and significantly extends the work that members of the UPSI team conducted before arrival at Cardiff as part of the National Reassurance Policing Programme (2003-5), the quasi-experimental forerunner of the roll-out of Neighbourhood Policing across England and Wales.

Since, 2007, UPSI's research at Cardiff has been based upon a series of linked empirical projects that have collectively afforded new insights into public perceptions and experiences of crime, disorder and policing. This involved the design of an applied research tool, integrating principles from cognitive interviewing method into a qualitative Geographic Information System platform to detect signal crimes and disorders [3-1]. By interviewing structured samples of members of the public about their neighbourhoods, the methodology enables police to identify precisely what problems, in which locations, are having most influence upon community safety. For example, identifying social disorder as the key issue for residents in one street, whilst graffiti is the focus of concern two streets away [3-2].

By targeting their operational interventions on those issues and places where most collective harm is occurring, police can deliver a `smarter' response that is more directly focused upon public priorities. Compared with traditional Community Policing methods, the policing model derived provides a more systematic framework for police engaging with communities, and renders policing more directly responsive to citizen concerns [3-3]. In 2010 the methodology was adopted by South Wales Police (SWP) and the Safer Sutton Partnership as integral to their delivery of Neighbourhood Policing. It has also been used by: Victoria Police, Australia; The Police Academy of the Netherlands; Lancashire Constabulary and ten other UK police agencies. These projects have extended the empirical base of the research programme and facilitated further methodological innovations

Building upon insights derived from these studies, UPSI's research has expanded to cover allied topics. For example, research commissioned by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) in 2010 using secondary analysis of the British Crime Survey, a survey of 5000 anti-social behaviour (ASB) victims, and police data, identified repeat and vulnerable victims of ASB were especially vulnerable to being harmed [3-4]. In 2012 HMIC asked the Institute to assist in assessing the progress made by all police forces in England and Wales in using the research evidence from the 2010 study in driving improvements in the management of ASB [3-5].

In addition, UPSI's research examining the impacts of the Prevent programme in reducing the risks of terrorist attacks has had national policy influence. This includes, in 2011, a study for the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) based upon quantitative analysis of several sweeps from the British Crime Survey and qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with counter-terrorism police and local community representatives. It is one of the most comprehensive studies of the impacts of counter-terrorism policing upon local communities ever conducted, demonstrating that effective citizen engagement delivered within a Neighbourhood Policing type framework, provides the most robust platform for understanding and responding to the risks of violent extremism within and across UK communities [3-6].

Key collaborators on these projects (Dr C. Roberts / Ms T. Lowe / Mr L. Abbott (left 2010) / Dr N. Weston (left 2011) and Dr H. Innes) are/were staff at Cardiff University.

References to the research

Details of the impact

The work with HMIC on their 2010 national inspection of the policing of ASB, was directly responsible for a significant change to Home Office policy, involving a shift to a more victim- focused and harm based approach [5-1]. Reflecting these findings, eight police forces trialled new processes and systems, with the resulting Home Office assessment supporting a shift to the focus on harm and victims originating in the UPSI study [5-2]. In 2012 Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary re-assessed all forces in England and Wales to determine the progress they had made in implementing reforms based upon the research. They found "...there is no doubt that the police service has improved its responsiveness to victims of ASB since HMIC last reported on this issue in 2010, with progress made in every forces. The survey results confirm that victims have noticed these improvements" [5-3].

Further national policing policy influence resulted from the ACPO study assessing the effectiveness of `prevent' policing, and in particular harnessing and applying aspects of community policing practice to the prevention of terrorism This had an explicit impact upon the Coalition government's revisions to the national CONTEST counter-terrorism strategy [5-4 & 5-5]. This policy influence was reinforced `on the ground' through a series of UPSI training events for regional counter-terrorist units across the country and presentations to the majority of police Basic Command Unit leads in England and Wales. The research was afforded international reach by an invitation to present at the ACPO International Prevent Conference in 2011 attended by counter- terrorism professionals from North America, Asia and Europe. Additionally, these events were important in enabling the findings of the research to re-shape local delivery.

The influence of the Institute's research on UK policing has provided a platform for increasing international reach. Commissions for work from a number of international agencies over the past five years, have included: the Police Academy of the Netherlands; the Scottish Institute for Policing Research; and Victoria Police, Australia. In respect of the latter, during the summer of 2011 Innes was invited to be a Visiting Fellow at the Centre of Excellence for Policing and Security, Australia. During this period he:

- lectured at the Australian Federal Police's HQ on UPSI's counter-terrorism research and its shaping of the UK's approach;

- ran a training event on community impact assessment of major crimes for the New South Wales Homicide Command;

- and gave two lectures and private briefing to the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner, Victoria Police.

These are examples of how the engagement work undertaken by the Institute has shaped international debates on policing policy, especially around being responsive to community needs.

Impacts on practitioners and professional services
A significant impact of UPSI's research has been improving the efficacy of Neighbourhood Policing. In 2008, a pilot study using the UPSI community engagement methodology (outlined in 3.2 above) was conducted in Cardiff that evidenced an increase in community engagement of around 73% compared with SWP's established approach, and less of a bias towards older and more affluent citizens. The pilot's results led to the approach being progressively extended across the whole of South Wales and integrated within SWP's corporate strategy for improving public confidence. According to official Home Office figures, in the year to September 2011 there was a 9% increase in the number of people in South Wales stating they were confident in the police to deal with local concerns. This reflects how, starting in 2009, a rolling programme of face-to-face interviews with the public conducted by Neighbourhood Policing officers using the UPSI method was initiated [5-6].

A notable success of this work was Operation Michigan. The UPSI methodology generated `community intelligence' about a drugs market police were unaware of, ultimately resulting in: 184 arrests for Class A drug supply; Prison sentences totalling 200 years set by the courts; Six kilos of heroin, crack and cocaine seized; A 36% reduction in serious acquisitive crime in the target areas and 25% reduction in ASB. When the approach was mainstreamed within SWP in 2011 similar results involving 8 arrests, and sizeable drug and cash seizures were obtained [5-6].

In London, UPSI has been working with the Safer Sutton Partnership throughout the REF period using the engagement method to inform Neighbourhood Policing and borough-wide Strategic Assessments. The work is credited with: reducing the number of public priorities by about a third; and, in a MORI Tracker poll community safety issues dropped to number three from one in the list of public concerns. This collaboration and its results have been praised by the Audit Commission [5-7], and featured as a case study in a 2012 Liberal Democrat Policy Paper on policing [5-8].

Participation on public policy advisory committees
Reflecting the Institute's growing reputation for helping to improve police practice, Innes provided oral evidence to the Scottish Parliament's 2008 enquiry into Community Policing [5-9] as well as The Home Affairs Select Committee in 2011 and The Silk Commission on devolving policing to Wales in 2013. He has also been directly involved in the Home Office Working Group that established the new national College of Policing, for which UPSI has been cited as a possible model for linking with the academy. Innes is also a panel member of the Independent Commission on Policing established by the Labour Party. The research on ASB and counter-terrorism resulted in Innes being appointed to Cardiff's `Safer and Cohesive Communities' and `CONTEST' boards. These positions provide an opportunity to feed research evidence into local interventions on an ongoing basis.

In sum, UPSI can evidence a significant track record of impacting upon police innovation and reform. The former Chief Constable of West Yorkshire and ACPO Lead for Prevent has stated [5-5] "In Neighbourhood Policing and Preventing Violent Extremism, the UPSI have influenced two of the most significant developments in police policy in the last decade."

Sources to corroborate the impact

[5-1] Press release (23/09/10) by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary where the findings from the UPSI study are set out. These were discussed by Sir Denis O'Connor in subsequent TV and press interviews http://www.hmic.gov.uk/news/releases-2010/release-036-2010/

[5-2] Home Office (2012) document `Focus On the Victim: Summary Report on the ASB Call Handling Trials. Pages 6-7, supports claim that Home Office supported a shift to the focus on harm and victims originating in the UPSI study. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/97732/asb-focus-on-the-victim.pdf

[5-3] Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (2012) A Step in the Right Direction: The Policing of Anti-Social Behaviour. London: Home Office. On p. 10 of this report a link is made to Innes/UPSI research showing how it influenced the reforms implemented, and citation on pages 18 [footnote 12] and 22 [footnote 14]. http://www.hmic.gov.uk/media/a-step-in-the-right-direction-the-policing-of-anti-social-behaviour.pdf

[5-4] HM Government (2011) Prevent Strategy. London: HMSO. UPSI's research cited on page 99 supporting claim of impact on revisions to the national CONTEST counter-terrorism strategy https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/97976/prevent-strategy-review.pdf

[5-5] Letter (30/09/11) from former ACPO Prevent Lead and Chief Constable West Yorkshire Police, evidencing UPSI's influence on key policy developments.

[5-6] The impact of the Neighbourhood Security Interviews on South Wales Police's work, and the results of Op. Michigan in particular are discussed in an interview with the Chief Constable of South Wales in a video available via the HEI, or online via: http://upsi.org.uk/news/2013/5/23/upsi-wins-innovation-award-for-social-cultwins-innovation-award-for-social-cultural-or-policy-imp.html

[5-7] Audit Commission (2008) Corporate Assessment of Sutton Council, London. Paragraph 105 discusses the use of UPSI developed methodology - "INSI interviews that provide an analysis of anti-social behaviour across all areas of the borough which is then effectively used to focus resources to improve residents' perceptions" [p. 32] - underlining the wider impact of our research http://archive.audit-commission.gov.uk/auditcommission/SiteCollectionDocuments/InspectionOutput/CorporateAssessments/SuttonLBCA18Nov08REP.pdf

[5-8] Brake, T. (2012) Trusted, Effective and Professional: British Policing At Its Best. This paper by Tom Brake MP refers to the work of UPSI in general on page 24-25 and the work in Sutton on pages 37-8, underlining the impact of our research beyond South Wales. http://www.libdems.org.uk/siteFiles/resources/docs/temp/Policing%20Policy%20Paper%2012%20-%20Issuu%20version.pdf

[5-9] The content of Innes' evidence is referenced in the official Scottish Parliament Justice Committee (2008) Report on Inquiry into Community Policing, 18^th Report, 2008 (Session 3). Edinburgh: Scottish Parliament. http://scottishparliament.biz/s3/committees/justice/reports-08/jur08-18.htm

[5-10] The speech was made 11/09/12 and the reference to Cardiff's work can be found on p.8 under the `College of Policing' heading. Available at http://library.college.police.uk/docs/homeoffice/Teresa-May-speech-PSA-Conference-2012.pdf

Copies of all reports and webpages available from HEI.