First Flexible Funding Awards

Following the first round of applications to the TYP-ACE flexible fund call, we are pleased to announce that we have awarded two Collaborative Research Awards.

Following the first round of applications to the TYP-ACE flexible fund call, we are pleased to announce that we have awarded two Collaborative Research Awards. Both projects are working with Yorkshire based police forces working on areas of Crime Prevention and Building Public Trust ARIs. We are looking forward to seeing some great outcomes from these projects over the coming months. 

Succesful Projects

Dr Sam Lewis, University of Leeds The use of GenAI by police call handlers to identify self-harm and suicidal ideation in the context of domestic abuse: An exploratory study

Dr Susan Watson, University of York Mapping the incidence and impact of digitally-enabled coercive control in York and North Yorkshire

Project Descriptions

The use of GenAI by police call handlers to identify self-harm and suicidal ideation in the context of domestic abuse: An exploratory study

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has long been a feature of policing. For example, the use of Machine Learning to support predictive analytics (e.g., identifying crime ‘hot spots’), administrative tasks (e.g., automated call transcription), and complex data analysis is well established. The advent of generative AI (GenAI), however, is said to have brought policing to ‘the brink of a once-in-a-generation reform’ (NPCC 2026). Plans to embed AI across policing include a £115m national centre for AI in Policing (Policing.AI), due to launch in 2026, that will ‘centralise and streamline the development, evaluation and rollout of AI tools’ (NPCC 2026). 
Forces at the forefront of these developments are already exploring the strategic use of AI in priority areas. At a time when domestic abuse victim suicides outnumber domestic abuse-related homicides (NPCC 2025), West Yorkshire Police is exploring the use of AI to support early identification of self-harm (SH) and suicidal ideation (SI) among victims of domestic abuse. This could enable faster referrals to life-saving services and reveal the prevalence of SH and SI among DA victims known to police - an ongoing knowledge gap. This collaborative research project will compare the identification of SH and SI amongst DA victims who come to West Yorkshire Police's attention over a four-month period, by call handlers and an AI model.    

Mapping the incidence and impact of digitally-enabled coercive control in York and North Yorkshire 

This project investigates digitally enabled coercive control in York and North Yorkshire (YNY) by analysing qualitative data gathered from North Yorkshire Police, Victim Support, and other stakeholders. Despite the rising use of surveillance technologies (e.g. doorbell cameras, GPS tracking devices, and location-sharing tools) for digitally enabled coercive control, academic research utilising such evidence from both law enforcement and survivors remains limited. This project addresses this critical knowledge gap. 

Working alongside regional partners and practitioners, the research pursues five strategic objectives: 

1.   Scale: How many offences over a defined period include an element of digitally‑enabled coercive control?

2.   Nature: What commonalities exist across cases reported to police?

3.   Training and support: What knowledge gaps do police officers identify, what obstacles arise from these gaps, and what training or resources would improve investigative practice?

4.   Securing future dissemination of best practice: How can best practice from other forces be rapidly shared with frontline officer

5.   Improvements: How can support for victim‑survivors be strengthened? Insights from individuals with lived experience and organisations working in this area will inform recommendations for improved service provision.

By mapping the experiences of survivors and practitioners, this study aims to refine local responses, ensuring that policing policy and responses on the ground keep pace with the rapidly evolving technological landscape of domestic abuse. 

If you are interested in applying for funding for a policing related project, see details of our next calls on our webpage – TYP-ACE Flexible fund