26 January 2023

Set up in March 2022, AWPAC aims to establish a broader evidence base for policing in Wales bringing together the four Welsh police forces and Welsh universities through the Wales Innovation Network (WIN).  

Following an online collaboration meeting on 22 November 2022, five projects have been awarded funding, focusing on the following areas of work: 

  • Vulnerability: domestic abuse, stalking and harassment 

  • Violence against women and girls    

  • Increasing public confidence and trust in policing    

  • Forging new partnerships to positively influence and inform UK Policing policies and doctrine   

Lewis Dean, Head of the Wales Innovation Network, said: 

“The All-Wales Policing Academic Collaboration is a great opportunity to build on the success of local arrangements that already exist across Wales between police forces and universities.  

“These four projects have the potential to further advance police research in Wales and I look forward to seeing how they develop.” 

Supt Ross Evans, Interim Chair of AWPAC said: 

“I’m proud to be involved in this initiative which can play such an important role in bringing together universities and police forces across Wales. 

“I was particularly pleased to see the successful projects taking such a broad, pan-Wales approach, demonstrating collaboration and engagement with a range of partners across the country.

“Through effective partnership working and knowledge sharing, these projects can have a real impact on policing in Wales."

Projects

All-Wales data sharing project

Led by Aberystwyth University, this project aims to put in place the key building blocks for a more substantive ‘all-Wales transition management’ project to identify the main factors that are active during transition from adolescence to adulthood that may exacerbate or mitigate the emergence of serious offending and its consequences for victims and offenders. It will also provide a mechanism to enable police, academic and other partners from across Wales to explore the potential for, and put the building blocks in place for, other related projects.  

Project partners: Bangor University, Swansea University, Four Welsh Police Forces 
 

Effects of national media coverage on local trust and confidence 

Led by Bangor University, this project aims to find out how trust and confidence in local and police is affected by events elsewhere, with a comparison amongst first year students in Wales and London. Trust in the police will be measured by perceived effectiveness, distributive justice, and procedural fairness. Students will be asked to indicate from which sources they have received good and from which bad reports on the work of the police and what aspects have been communicated. 

Project partners: Aberystwyth University, Swansea University, University of East London, University of South Wales, University of Sunderland, University of West of London, Gwent Police, North Wales Police, Police and Crime Commissioner and Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner North Wales Police 
 

Police understanding and application of the concept of vulnerability in responding to the needs of sex workers in Wales 

Led by Swansea University, this project focuses on police understanding and application of ‘vulnerability’ in responding to the needs of sex work populations in Wales.  

It will support police forces in aligning their applications of vulnerability with NPCC guidance on supporting sex workers, enabling them to recognise the support needs of sex workers, reduce violence and exploitation experienced by sex workers, build confidence and trust in policing responses and support the work of third-sector support services 

Project partners: University of South Wales, South Wales Police, Dyfed Powys Police, Gwent Police  
 

Enablers and blockers to student volunteering in Policing 

Led by the University of South Wales, this project will aim to evaluate both enablers and blockers to student volunteering in policing whilst undertaking a College of Policing licenced Professional Policing Degree. There will be focus groups with students in each of three years of an undergraduate Professional Policing Degree at Cardiff Metropolitan University, University of South Wales and University of Wales Trinity Saint David to discover if they are formally volunteering within policing to understand what the motivations are along with the challenges they face. There will be discussions with those students who are not volunteering to understand the reasons behind their decisions and if the barriers they may face prevent them from volunteering. 

Project partners: Cardiff Metropolitan University, University of South Wales, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, South Wales Police 
 

Addressing domestic abuse within the police – exploring Welsh police forces’ response to victims and offenders as employees  

Led by the Open University,  this project addresses the current crisis of police legitimacy regarding domestic abuse (DA) within the police.   

Violence against women committed by serving police officers e.g., David Carrick and Wayne Cousins has shaken trust in the police. Moreover, despite increased attention on police employees as potential perpetrators, there remains little focus on police officers and staff as potential victims.   

In Wales, the national context is important to understand how police forces are addressing the issue of DA within the police. The four forces operate under both devolved legislation (e.g., the VAWDASV, Act 2015 and the Well-being of Future Generations Act, 2015) and the remit of the Home Office. Therefore, understanding how this may impact the approach/s taken is central.  

Project partners: University of South Wales, Dyfed Powys Police, Gwent Police, South Wales Police, North Wales Police