Towards a minimum policing standard

Start date: 1 May 2022
End date: 30 April 2024
Funder: Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
Partners and collaborators: Vulnerability & Policing Futures Research Centre
Primary investigator: Professor Adam Crawford
Co-investigators: Dr Christine A. Weirich, Dr David Rowlands
External co-investigators: Professor Ben Bradford (UCL)

This work will explore what the public think the core functions of the police are. Researchers will ask people what they think policing is for, what they want from the police and what they think police should do.

The team aims to develop a concept of the ‘minimum policing standard’ – a set of functions police should always be able to provide and the conduct they should adhere to. This will be developed by conducting three rounds of focus groups with different demographic groups from cities, towns and rural areas, as well as people who have had frequent recent contact with the police.

The project will also explore ethical, political and practical questions about ways to bring about radical change in policing and the extent to which it is appropriate for the public to have a say.

Project website

https://vulnerabilitypolicing.org.uk/minimum-policing-standard/