Policing Academic Centre of Excellence

Lancaster University’s Policing Academic Centre of Excellence (L-PACE) is based on its world leading reputation for the application of social and behavioural sciences to enduring and emerging policing challenges

Abstract Police blue lights flashing
P-ACE Logo

  • Building and Maintaining Public Trust

  • Crime Prevention

  • Personal Safety

  • Identification and Tracing

  • Surveillance and Sensing

Welcome to L-PACE

The National Police Chiefs’ Council ​(NPCC) in partnership with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has chosen Lancaster University as one of nine Policing Academic Centres of Excellence (P-ACEs). L-PACE is built on Lancaster University’s world leading reputation for the application of social and behavioural sciences to policing Areas of Research Interest, showcasing Lancaster’s multidisciplinary excellence in computational social science, psychology, linguistics, law, criminology and sociology, in the analysis of visual, linguistic and sensor data.

Why Lancaster

Lancaster University offers a vibrant and supportive interdisciplinary research community with a world leading reputation for the application of social and behavioural sciences to policing areas of research interest.

Lancaster is a member of the N8 Policing Research Partnership (N8PRP) a collaboration between 8 research-intensive Universities and 11 police forces in the North of England include Cheshire, Cleveland, Cumbria, Durham, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, North Yorkshire, Northumbria, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.

Research Excellence

Lancaster Policing Academic Centre of Excellence (L-PACE) is also supported by a range of Institutes and Centre's, most notably the Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats (CREST), Security Lancaster (SL), the Data Science Institute (DSI), Forensic Linguistics, Cybersecurity and Technology Research(FACTOR), Network for Analytical Behavioural Science in Security and Defence (Nabs+) and the Cyber Security Research Centre (CSRC), the NCSC accredited Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research (ACE-CSR).

What we do

The Lancaster Policing Academic Centre of Excellence (L-PACE) will create a step-change in the ability of Lancaster’s social and behavioural sciences to have a practical and operational impact on policing Areas of Research Interests (ARI). Lancaster’s strengths in policing research is not only cross-disciplinary, but also built around expertise in the analysis of visual, linguistic and sensor data, and in partnership with organisations who are signed up to the Police-Industry Charter.

L-PACE will be a centre that promotes multidisciplinary, multi-modal and multi-sectorial research into policing ARIs, showcasing Lancaster’s multidisciplinary excellence in computational social science, psychology, linguistics, law, criminology and sociology. Working closely with police forces, L-PACE will drive collaboration across academia and policing, ensuring that policing is shaped by the latest and best scientific expertise, and that the UK’s leading researchers are able to challenge and innovate in partnership with policing as together we strive to improve public safety.

Our Industry Partners

L-PACE will work with commercial partners signed up to the Police Industry Charter to meet emerging technological policing challenges, and work to harness Lancaster’s expertise in the analysis of digital visual data, natural language data and ambient sensor data in the service of police ARIs. Our primary industry partners are Naimuri, (software development and data intelligence) PrincipleOne (UK law enforcement services)and DAINTTA (technical and business specialists).

Areas of Research Interest:

L-PACE demonstrates expertise and strengths across the following Policing Areas of Research Interest (ARI's), and aims to provide practical solutions to current policing problems in the following 5 areas:

  1. Building and maintaining public trust
  2. Crime prevention
  3. Personal safety
  4. Identification and tracing
  5. Surveillance and sensing

"Lancaster University’s recognition as a Policing Academic Centre of Excellence (L-PACE) is based on its world leading reputation for the application of social and behavioural sciences to enduring and emerging policing challenges"

Professor Mark Levine, Centre Director

News

Working closely with police forces, the P-ACEs will drive collaboration among academia and policing

Lancaster to become Policing Academic Centre of Excellence

The National Police Chiefs’ Council ​(NPCC) in partnership with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has chosen Lancaster University as one of nine Policing Academic Centres of Excellence (P-ACEs) sharing a total of £4.5 million. 
Two fire officers bumping fists

New research highlights practical improvements for ‘Blue Light’ interoperability

A Lancaster University and University of Liverpool study examined how emergency services work together during live exercises, using video from a large-scale training exercise. It found strong communication but a tendency to work in silos. Researchers recommend clearer shared goals, structured communication, inclusive language, and behavioural observation to improve collaboration and strengthen real-life emergency responses.
This is an image of a safe with circuit-board graphics and sound-waves on also.

Fighting Deepfakes and Scams: Lancaster University's Forensic Linguistics Summer School Success

This summer, Lancaster University’s Forensic linguistics, Cybersecurity and Technology Research (FACTOR) team ran a successful three-day summer school. The event took 77 delegates on journey into the worlds of forensic linguistics, forensic speech science, and the (mis)use of AI, and helped to raise awareness about a new unique course, MSc Forensic Linguistics and Speech Science. 
Creating new understanding of how individual and population level security risks evolve, NABS+ is led by Lancaster University in collaboration with Bath, Cardiff and Edinburgh universities

£3.5M award for Lancaster to lead network to boost UK resilience and security

Lancaster University has been awarded £3.5 million to lead a Network Plus for Analytical Behavioural Science (NABS+) in Security and Defence. 
Image shows two police officers on patrol in a busy blurred street scene

Police uniforms ‘unfit for purpose’ and cause health problems – new survey reveals

Police officers and staff in England and Wales are frustrated with their uniforms which they say, are unfit for purpose, restrictive and contribute to major health issues. 
Police officers in uniform

Lancaster researchers launch first national police uniform and equipment survey

Police officers and staff across England and Wales are to be asked about their experiences of wearing their standard issue uniforms and equipment as part of a new national survey.

More News