The funding, awarded by the Horizon 2020 Security Research Program of the European Commission, enables a team of academics to work closely together with law enforcement agencies and other partners in different European countries.
The Design Against Crime Solution Center of the University of Salford and DSP-groep will find innovative ways to tackle high-impact crimes such as physical and sexual assault, robbery, burglary and vandalism.

Role DSP-groep

Together with academics from the Solution Center of the University of Salford and the other research partners in the Cutting Crime Impact (CCI) project, DSP-groep will train individuals to carry out research within each of the police forces; mapping processes, interviewing stakeholders and shadowing officers to collect detailed information about how the police carry out certain roles.

Toolkits to tackle high-impact crimes

Once data on the problems and current policing approaches has been collected, representatives of each force will work with experts from a wide range of disciplines within the CCI consortium to design and develop innovative ways to address identified issues. The four main issues are:

  • Predictive Policing/Big Data
  • Community Policing
  • Fear of Crime and feelings of insecurity
  • Crime Prevention through Urban Design Planning and Management

Solutions may take a variety of forms — from digital tools, such as an app, to new ways of working or guidance for officers facing specific challenges.

These new ‘toolkits’ will then be integrated within each of the forces’ operations and demonstrated in a real policing environment. CCI researchers will monitor how effective the tools are in practice and identify necessary improvements.

CCI Partners

The full list of law enforcement agencies working on the project is:

Greater Manchester Police – UK, National Police of the Netherlands, Politsei- ja Piirivalveamet – Estonia, Policia Municipal de Lisboa, Camara Municipal de Lisboa – Portugal, Landeskriminalamt Niedersachsen – Germany, Departament d’Interior – Generalitat de Catalunya – Spain,

Members of the CCI project consortium: DSP groep bv – the Netherlands, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen – the Netherlands, Deutscher Präventionstag Institut – Germany, European Forum for Urban Security (Efus) – France, Globaz SA – Portugal

Members of the advisory board are: Ministry of Security and Justice, the Netherlands, Italian Forum for Urban Security, Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge, Chair of Homeland Security and Public Health Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, European Network of Law Enforcement Technology Services – the Netherlands, Chair of EU COST Action TU1203, Crime Prevention Through Urban Design & Planning (CP-UDP) – Italy

Intrigued?

Please contact Paul van Soomeren.