Æß²ÊÖ±²¥

Police professionals and academic researchers came together this week to discuss the challenges facing modern policing and how collaboration is the key to addressing them.

Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ (Æß²ÊÖ±²¥) Leicester, in partnership with the East Midlands Police-Academic Collaboration (EMPAC), recently hosted a sandpit session, inviting police professionals and academic researchers to engage in critical, reflective, and open discussions about the challenges facing modern policing and the role of collaboration in addressing them.

Æß²ÊÖ±²¥’s Policy Unit, led by Dr Ahmad Al-Hiari, Lecturer in Leadership and Management, has taken a leading role in reimagining the relationship between police forces and academia, arguing that it is imperative for the two parties to move from transactional cooperation to a more collaborative model underpinned by reciprocity, reflexivity, and a shared language between both.

The event was attended by academics from 10 different universities and policing professionals and officers from nine different forces and institutions. Unlike conventional workshops, the sandpit session, facilitated by David Hill from professional training and coaching organisation, Jumpthink, employed a highly interactive format that allowed participants to collaboratively map operational challenges, identify institutional barriers, and co-problematise the gaps between research and frontline policing.

Dr Ahmad Al-Hiari, who convened the event, said: "This sandpit validates the growing momentum for transforming the nature and dynamics of police-academic relationships in the UK, moving from intermittent research engagements toward more sustainable partnerships that transcend budgetary challenges and institutional bureaucracy. We recognise that in today's critical environment, police forces need to be supported with research that is timely, practical, and aligned with frontline priorities."

The event was structured around key themes including the nature of collaboration, organisational challenges, and pathways for translating research into practice. Discussions looked into how responsive models for knowledge exchange can be developed to augment existing regional networks like the Research and Innovation networks and EMPAC.

Co-problematisation was at the heart of the discussion, where both academics and police jointly identified priority areas where research could make a meaningful difference to operational policing. Attendees acknowledged that effective solutions must be developed collaboratively rather than imposed from outside.

Dr Al-Hiari added: "Our vision extends beyond this single event as we aim to establish a durable collaborative ecosystem that strengthens police capability, improves efficiency, and ultimately enhances public safety across the Midlands region more broadly."

Professor John Coxhead, EMPAC's Research Manager and Visiting Professor at Æß²ÊÖ±²¥, said: "The event was a superb example of what is possible when we work together towards common quality goals. I think W. Edwards Deming [American business management theorist] would have been proud of us. The involvement of the Police Federation's Thiel Institute, which links to 140,000 police officers, was pivotal in how we can unleash authentic and fresh creative insights into improving policing of the future through collaborative real-world research."

Results and recommendations from the event will be presented at the Midlands Regional Society of Evidence-Based Policing (SEBP) Conference, to be held at Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ in June, providing an opportunity to share insights with a wider audience and build momentum for continued collaboration.