The West Midlands Police & Crime Commissioner, David Jamieson is inviting academics from across the West Midlands to contribute to join his new Academic Advisory Board.
One of the main purposes of the board is for academics to come together and present their research to the PCC and identify new and creative ways they can work together to reduce crime in the West Midlands.
Academics from the University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University, Aston University, Newman University, Coventry University, Wolverhampton University and Warwick University have all agreed to join the board.
Alongside holding West Midlands Police and the Chief Constable to account for policing across the region, the PCC commissions, invests in and collaborates on a wide range of projects designed to prevent crime.
The PCC has commissioned a wide range of initiatives which focus on diverting young people away from criminality, reducing school exclusions, addressing challenges faced by young people in care and supporting early intervention, mental health and victim support efforts.
The PCC listens to a wide range of community voices, including those from different social and religious backgrounds, those with lived experience and young people; all from the diverse communities of the West Midlands.
The board will include academics who have expertise in political governance, policing, social cohesion, criminology and social work.
The Academic Advisory Board will provide the opportunity for members to present relevant research they or their institution have conducted.
The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson said: “I am really pleased that academics from across various universities have agreed to join the Board.
“Throughout my time as Police and Crime Commissioner I have listened to the priorities of the diverse communities in the West Midlands. This board provides me with the chance to learn about the work academics are doing and listen to what they think needs to be done to reduce crime.
“I am looking forward to seeing the Academic Advisory Board fully running over the next few months”.
Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, Dave Thompson, said: “The Academic Advisory Board is an opportunity for West Midlands Police to learn more about their research and how their thinking can help reduce crime.
“I am looking forward to seeing the work that is being done and strengthening West Midlands Police’s relationship with academics across the region”.
Tom McNeil, Strategic Adviser to the PCC said “The PCC, his policy team, the Violence Reduction Unit and West Midlands Police already work closely with a number of leading academics; using evidence to help tackle the root causes of crime and make communities safer.
“This new Board will broaden and strengthen links with policing and criminal justice experts across the West Midlands, to continue to develop the West Midlands PCC Office as a centre of excellence in crime prevention innovation and partnership working”.
Vanessa Munro, Professor of Law at the University of Warwick, said: “I am delighted to be able to join this Academic Advisory Board, and I am very much looking forward to working with colleagues in criminal justice policy and practice to develop collaborations that will facilitate evidence-based innovation in responding to the causes and consequences of crime, in the West Midlands region and beyond.
“I am particularly excited by the opportunity to develop partnerships targeted at understanding and responding most effectively to the needs of victims of crime, including gender-based violence which is a topic on which I have been writing and researching for over 2 decades.”
Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay, Professor of Economics and Director, Centre for Crime, Justice and Policing at the University of Birmingham said: “I am really pleased to be joining the advisory board which will help me feed in relevant research done at our university and centre as well as learn what other impactful work is being done in this area.
“The nature of crime is changing and the collective expertise of the board will ensure that we provide early advice on changes on the horizon that will help the police to respond more effectively to the changing nature of vulnerability.
“I also hope our collective expertise will help towards building an even more resilient police force to adapt to the challenges of 21st century transnational crime, which is a major area of work at the University of Birmingham”.
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