Scottish Institute for Policing Research

Scottish Institute for Policing Research SIPR was founded in 2007 and acts as the interface between academics working on policing-related issues.

Established in 2006 and supported by investment from the Scottish Funding Council and Police Scotland, SIPR is a collaboration between 12 Scottish universities established to carry out high quality, independent research and to make evidence-based contributions to policing policy and practice.

🛍️ Take Part in the UK Retail Crime Questionnaire Retail crime affects businesses, workers and communities across the UK...
03/06/2026

🛍️ Take Part in the UK Retail Crime Questionnaire

Retail crime affects businesses, workers and communities across the UK. To help better understand the challenges facing the retail sector, researchers at Robert Gordon University are seeking the views and experiences of retail workers.

If you are aged 18 or over and work in a physical retail store, whether as a shop assistant, manager, security staff member or in another retail role, we encourage you to take part.

The questionnaire explores:

• Retail crime
• Crime reporting and prevention
• The impact of retail crime on stores and communities

The survey is anonymous and takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.
Your experiences will help inform UK-wide research and support the development of more effective responses to retail crime.

Take part here:

https://lnkd.in/e24MAKyH

For further information, please contact Sarah Henderson at [email protected]

Yesterday, SIPR was pleased to support the workshop ‘Police and Deaths in Scotland: Prevention, Investigation, Transpare...
27/05/2026

Yesterday, SIPR was pleased to support the workshop ‘Police and Deaths in Scotland: Prevention, Investigation, Transparency’ through our Knowledge Exchange Grant funding.

Hosted at the University of Strathclyde, the workshop brought together colleagues from academia, policing, government, and wider stakeholder communities to explore the prevention, investigation, and understanding of deaths in police custody and following police contact in Scotland.

The session featured presentations from Professor Sarah Armstrong and Dr Betsy Barkas from the The Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research , alongside SIPR Director Dr Andrew Wooff, and included important discussion around data, transparency, accountability, and evidence informed approaches to prevention.

A really valuable and thought provoking event bringing together research, policy, and practice perspectives on an important and sensitive area of policing and justice.

It was great to welcome colleagues from Sweden last week for a study visit exploring Scottish research and practice acro...
26/05/2026

It was great to welcome colleagues from Sweden last week for a study visit exploring Scottish research and practice across a range of criminal justice and policing issues.

SIPR Director Dr Andrew Wooff attended discussions focused on areas including organised crime, sexual violence, domestic abuse, criminal exploitation, policing, and evidence based crime prevention approaches.

A really valuable opportunity to share knowledge, discuss international perspectives, and strengthen collaborative connections across research and practice.

Thank you to everyone who joined yesterdays hybrid seminar with Markus Buderath on human rights based policing in Scotla...
26/05/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined yesterdays hybrid seminar with Markus Buderath on human rights based policing in Scotland, supported by .

Markus explored how Police Scotland has increasingly positioned itself as a human rights based organisation, and whether that identity reflects operational reality, institutional strategy, or both.

Drawing on a neo institutionalist perspective, the session examined the relationship between policing reform, Scottish political identity, organisational legitimacy, and international ambitions, while opening up important discussion around the tensions between institutional narrative and day to day policing practice.

A really engaging and thought provoking discussion both in the room and online. Thank you again to Markus for such an insightful session.

Last week, SIPR was delighted to join colleagues at the University of the West of Scotland for a really engaging and pro...
26/05/2026

Last week, SIPR was delighted to join colleagues at the University of the West of Scotland for a really engaging and productive afternoon hosted by the UWS Crime, Justice and Security Research Group, Dr Maria Sapouna and Professor Colin Clark

The event was opened by Professor Robert MacIntosh, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) at UWS, who highlighted the importance of collaboration, innovation and interdisciplinary research in addressing complex societal challenges.

It was fantastic to see such a wide range of disciplines represented.

Dr Andrew Wooff, Director of SIPR, spoke about SIPR and S-PACE funding opportunities, networks and future areas for collaboration, with Monica Craig, SIPR Head of Operations, also joining the session and discussions throughout the afternoon.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended, shared ideas and contributed to such an open and collaborative atmosphere. There was a real sense of momentum in the room, with exciting conversations and new connections already beginning to develop.

We look forward to continuing the conversations and strengthening links across UWS and beyond.

Join us for an upcoming SPACE and Pax Caledonia Network event exploring new approaches to preventing and responding to v...
20/05/2026

Join us for an upcoming SPACE and Pax Caledonia Network event exploring new approaches to preventing and responding to violent radicalisation and extremism.

Professor Theo Gavrielides will discuss how restorative justice, positive criminology and psychosocial approaches can offer practical alternatives to current prevention and control models. Drawing on international pilot projects, the session will explore how communities and institutions can better address harm, violence and extremist worldviews.

📅 Thursday 28 May
⏰ 10–11am (UK time)
🎤 Speaker: Prof. Theo Gavrielides

Register here: https://lnkd.in/e8h628G3

12/05/2026

📢 New Research Report Launch: Lights Under a Bushel? Visibility Research for Police Scotland

A new SIPR funded report has explored how communities across Scotland understand and experience police visibility in the modern era.

Led by Professor Karen McArdle (University of Aberdeen), Kirsty Forrester (Dundee City Council), and Dr Alan Mackie (University of Dundee), the research draws on ten focus groups involving 95 participants across Fife, Tayside and Angus.

The findings show that while visible policing remains strongly linked to reassurance, trust and public confidence, expectations of visibility have evolved significantly. Visibility today extends beyond officers on foot patrol to include local engagement, marked vehicles, digital communication, community facilities, and meaningful day-to-day interaction.

🎥 Watch Professor Karen McArdle discuss the report findings and why police visibility matters in contemporary communities in our accompanying talking head video.

Professor Karen McArdle said:

“The Visibility of Policing in the Community report is called, ‘Lights Under a Bushel’, because policing today is so complex and the demands of communication for different communities sometimes goes unacknowledged. Police visibility in the modern era extends beyond the traditional image of officers on foot patrol...”

The report highlights strong support for neighbourhood policing approaches centred on accessibility, prevention, trust-building and community relationships. It also identifies important differences in how visibility is experienced across different communities, particularly in rural areas and amongst younger people.

Lights Under a Bushel? Visibility Research for Police Scotland was funded by the Scottish Institute for Police Research (SIPR).

🚨 Workshop: Understanding Cognitive Bias in Forensic Science 🚨Join us at the University of Strathclyde for a one day wor...
11/05/2026

🚨 Workshop: Understanding Cognitive Bias in Forensic Science 🚨
Join us at the University of Strathclyde for a one day workshop exploring cognitive bias in forensic science and its implications for practice, decision making, and investigations.

📅 2 June 2026
⏰ 10am to 3pm
📍 Royal College Building, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow

Supported by ENFSI (European Network of Forensic Science Institutes), this workshop will bring together those with an interest in forensic science, evidence, and investigative practice to discuss current thinking and developments in the field.

Venue:
Royal College Building
204 George Street
Glasgow
G1 1XW

🎟️ Sign up here: https://bit.ly/4eFamCp

06/05/2026

Associate Professor Shane Horgan, SIPR Associate Director | SIPR Main Grant 2025–26: Why This Call Matters

🎥 Hear from Associate Professor Shane Horgan, SIPR Associate Director and Lead for Digital Policing and Technological Harms, on the latest SIPR Main Grant Call focused on technological innovation, harm, and human rights in policing.

The call offers:
💷 Up to £20,000 per project
📅 Projects of up to 12 months

If you’re working in policing, technology, cybercrime, surveillance, AI, digital harms, or human rights, this is an excellent opportunity to develop impactful and policy-relevant research.

📨 Full application deadline: 29 May 2026

For informal queries:
Dr Shane Horgan – [email protected]
Dr Andrew Wooff – [email protected]

🔗 Full details: https://bit.ly/4tWW848

📊 Webinar: Statistical issues in police investigationsWe’re pleased to invite you to an upcoming webinar from the Scotti...
01/05/2026

📊 Webinar: Statistical issues in police investigations

We’re pleased to invite you to an upcoming webinar from the Scottish Policing Academic Centre of Excellence (SPACE):

Statistical issues in police investigations, including clusters of health care deaths

📅 Friday 12th June
⏰ 10:00–11:30 GMT
💻 Online (Microsoft Teams)

This session will explore key statistical challenges in policing and forensic investigations, including the analysis of clusters of deaths in healthcare settings.

🔍 What to expect:

• A case study examining statistical evidence in the Lucy Letby case
• Insights into the challenges of applying epidemiological methods in criminal investigations
• Discussion of common statistical pitfalls in policing, including bias, data selection, and modelling
• An overview of ongoing work to strengthen the use of statistics in police investigations

🎤 Speakers:

Jane Hutton, Professor of Statistics, University of Warwick
Amy Wilson, Lecturer in Statistics, University of Edinburgh

Chair: McVie, Professor of Quantitative Criminology, University of Edinburgh

This webinar will be of interest to researchers, practitioners, and anyone working at the intersection of data, statistics, and policing.

👉 Register here: https://bit.ly/4eryDfj

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Edinburgh Napier University, 9 Sighthill Court
Edinburgh
EH114BN

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