Inaugural Chief Scientific Advisor for national policing appointed by NPCC

Posted to News on Wednesday, May 19, 2021 Share:

PROFESSOR PAUL Taylor has been appointed as the first Chief Scientific Advisor for national policing. The newly created role at the National Police Chiefs’ Council, which has been funded by the Home Office, will connect science and technology expertise both in the UK and globally to keep policing at the forefront of Best Practice.

In essence, the Chief Scientific Advisor will guide critical strategies, policies and decisions, in turn helping the police service to protect millions of people.

The role will focus on crime prevention and use emerging evidence, research and innovation in science and technology, including in the fields of both data and behavioural science, to advise policing on the opportunities and risks in order to help reduce crime.

Independent and expert scientific advice will be provided to the sector as a whole, including the College of Policing, the National Crime Agency, the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, individual constabularies and, on occasion, Government ministers.

A new science and technology strategy for policing will be developed alongside the delivery of the Government’s Manifesto commitment to establish a new National Crime and Justice Laboratory. The latter will work to provide insight and solutions across policing, the criminal justice system and Government with the overriding aim of “transforming” the prevention and reduction of crime.

It’s envisaged that these initiatives will play a pivotal role in future policing at home and around the world.

Counter-terrorism and emergency response

Professor Taylor, who’s currently the director of the Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats based at Lancaster University, has led on innovations in crime prevention, predictive policing and a national programme of research that has helped shape policing in counter-terrorism and emergency response. He officially took up the new post on 1 May.

Commenting on this development, Professor Taylor said: “It’s my privilege to be joining the National Police Chiefs’ Council at a time when science and technology has so much to offer policing. The UK has always been at the forefront of using evidence and science in policing and I intend to build on this tradition to ensuring that the very best research and innovation lies at the heart of what we do. I look forward to working with outstanding colleagues across the sector and those within the Chief Scientific Advisor network.”