Reducing the Unanticipated Crime Harms of COVID-19 Policies

Lead Research Organisation: University of Leeds
Department Name: Law

Abstract

The COVID-19 crisis is changing the shape of crime. Drawing on crime science, this research will inform evidence-based policy and practice.

Lockdown requires people to stay home, leading to domestic violence and child abuse increases. Yet social distancing means police are arresting fewer suspects: reduced services at time of greater need. COVID-19 gives fraudsters a 'conversation starter' to approach people in-person, via text, email and online. Remote working and online leisure activities, furloughs and financial difficulties, provide more potential targets for online crimes of various types. Vulnerable groups including the elderly and disabled are more at risk.

Yet a Harvard study (Kissler et al. Science, 14 April) suggests that, absent a vaccine, social distancing may continue into 2022, perhaps 2024. So we will anticipate crime effects of prolonged, graduated or cyclical exit strategies.

We will also anticipate post-crisis scenarios, seeking to sustain declines in crimes like burglary, to avoid them returning to 'normal'.

We will use (1) national police data, (2) detailed data from three police partners, (3) fraud and e-crime data from industry, and (4) sources from other agencies such as Childline (for unreported crime). Pre/post-change analysis will use a combination of time-series and spatial modelling. Nesting force-level analysis in the national and international context will allow us to gauge scalability.

We have police and industry partners, national (Home office, National Police Chief's Council, College of Policing) and international advisors. The aim is to inform policy and practice, producing 16 deliverables including policy and practice briefings and research articles.
 
Description A broad portfolio of research conveyed findings conveyed via 13 journal articles or reports plus 25 Briefings for practitioners and policy-makers (www.covid19-crime.com), here grouped by publication type then theme:
A. Policy Briefings
28 Briefings as JDI Special Papers on emerging issues including; medical counterfeits; bio-assaults; voluntary compliance; post-lockdown crimes; changing crime typology; facemask crime; vaccine-crime; contactless card payment limits. Findings comprise informed speculation, some predicting future risks.
B. Statistical Briefings
17 issues of the Statistical Bulletin on Crime and COVID-19, often the first using rigorous statistical methods to examine: national crime trends; local lockdown effects in Leicester; second-lockdown effects; rail network effects; variation in crime change by time and day; and crime effects after over two years.
C. Journal Articles and Reports
13 journal articles and reports with evidence-based policy-oriented findings spanned diverse data, methods, crime types, issues and recommendations including
- Post-pandemic policing (a Delphi study)
- how pandemic occupancy levels affect burglary rates
- pandemic online activities and online crime rates
- Impact and knowledge production
- Why anti-social behaviour increased when many crimes declined
- Countering media claims that fly-tipping increased in lockdown (it decreased)
- 20K-respondent survey of online pandemic security behaviours
- Police strategic Twitter use during pandemic
- Multiple studies with rigorous statistical method identifying trends and implications.
THEMES
A. Importance of the Crime Opportunity Structure
The overarching finding of our research is that crime opportunities play the main role in crime change in both physical and online space. The findings are fundamental to theories of crime, the prevention of crime and reduction of crime harms.
B. Other Fundamental Findings
Many of the findings now appear commonplace including crime rate declines and their variation. Our research was typically the first reliable UK-based modelling output comparing observed and expected trends, local lockdowns effects, local area variation and distributive justice.
C. Refuting Misconceptions
We refuted key misconceptions such as media claims that fly-tipping skyrocketed in first lockdown (it declined!). We showed how recorded anti-social behaviour spiked in first lockdown when many crimes declined (some police forces grouped covid-regulation breaches into ASB). Our study of online crime established findings providing a foundation for future research and policy in this area.
D. Beyond the Pandemic: Future Crime Policy
Post-pandemic policing is addressed in our Delphi study. One introspective study sheds light on knowledge production and impact in the pandemic. We produced findings with strategic implications for the police use of social media.
E. Methodological Findings
Our research was first using natural language to interrogate police record free text, with the potentially global application. Our fly-tipping study showed the potential for use of rapid ad hoc Freedom of Information requests (to all local authorities) to mobilise untapped data - this unformed our response to the government inquiry on this waste crime.
Exploitation Route The research received significant national and international media attention. The advisory board included representative from the National Police Chiefs' Council, the Home Office, and College of Policing, the key national stakeholders. Our frequent and timely Briefings were nationally disseminated. We worked closely with regional police, British Transport Police, waste management, Neighbourhood Watch, and Action Fraud.
We filled important analytic gaps: hypothesis testing with rigorous analyses; Freedom of Information Requests to obtain novel data; Natural Language Processing (not previously applied in policing); Twitter analysis; Delphi exercise and; a victim survey of 15K respondents.
Influential components included:
Our Delphi study was undertaken for Operation Talla, the national police pandemic management.
Our anti-social behaviour (ASB) research found some police regions included covid-related breaches as ASB while others did not, with important implications for practice and harmonisation.
Our small-area analysis of crime change shows the need to focus on crime concentrations.
Our study of waste crime refuted the media's portrayal of rampant fly-tipping in first lockdown - in fact, flytipping declined significantly (then bounced-back post-lockdown).
Our ASB analysis was, we believe, the first to utilised natural language processing (NLP) to interrogate police records, with major potential for further applications globally.
Our study of police pandemic Tweets demonstrated close links between social media use and crime rates, so a potentially important role for social media in crime control and policing.
Our cybercrime and fraud research was positively received by Action Fraud and others.
Sectors Government, Democracy and Justice
URL http://www.covid19-crime.com
 
Description Our primary impact is through enhancement of the effectiveness of public services and policy. We have also made significant academic impact through new theory, breakthrough methods and applications that solve fundamental research challenges. A. Key engagement for impact delivery mechanisms: (1) national stakeholders as advisors, (2) working closely with multiple local and specialist agencies, (2) Twenty-five Briefings and 10 journal articles (4) Twelve publications in the leading practitioner outlet (Policing Insight), (5) Profs Farrell and Johnson were panel members of the Government Office of Science panel on crime prevention as part of the Rebuilding a Resilient Britain initiative and Johnson was a consultative member of the SAGE SPI-B Policing and Security workstream, (6) Diverse media interaction, seminars, presentations. B. Key impact types as follows. Each comprises or provides a platform to inform policy and practice at different levels: (1) timely high-quality statistically rigorous analyses of national, local and online crime patterns and trends (described as a "masterclass" in analysis at a recent Home Office seminar), (2) timely policy-oriented expert analyses of emerging crime-related issues, (3) innovative theory to inform policy and practice, (4) novel application of artificial intelligence to police data, (5) novel data collection via FOI surveys of local council and regional police to provide unique insight into events, policy and practice, (6) a pandemic-oriented victim survey of the experiences of 15K respondents (7) an original national Delphi survey to synthesise expert views and inform future policy C. Our Top-Ten Examples of Impact 1. We regularly exchanged our Statistical Bulletins and other work with the analysts at Operation Talla, the national police management operation for the pandemic, who reported using them to support their work. 2. Our Statistical Bulletin #7 was the first rigorous (matched control group) analysis of crime and displacement effects of the UK's first local lockdown in Leicester, informing Leicestershire Constabulary and national operations. 3. Our partners in Lancashire police co-produced several reports with us and reported developing policy and practice around the findings, 4. British Transport Police co-produced our analytic reports on rail network crime. 5. Our analysis of cybercrime and fraud was developed with and presented to Action Fraud and other agencies who reported its utility to their ongoing work. 6. Our COVID-19 crime victim survey with 15K respondents was undertaken with Neighbourhood Watch partners, gathering unique pandemic-related information to inform advice for improved household practice on cybercrime, fraud and online security. 7. National and international media coverage of our research indicates diverse engagement and impact, including but not limited to: The Economist (9/7/20, 23/7/20), BBC news (27/8/21, 15/10/21), The Today Programme on Radio 4 (15/10/21), The Guardian (27/12/20, 16/4/21). 8. Police records of calls and crimes contain text information collected for routine housekeeping but unused for analysis. Our application of natural language processing (NLP) to interrogate the text information is, we believe, the first NLP application to such police data. It provided novel evidence to inform policing on anti-social behaviour. Further, we anticipate sustained long-term impact globally from providing proof-of-concept of NLP's utility to exploit police text data to inform policy and practice. We believe this falls into the impact category of a fundamental research challenge. 9. The long-term impact of our Briefings on increased contactless card payment limits (from £30 to £100 during the pandemic, so a stolen card is now worth £2K+ per week), and related media coverage, will be to induce monitoring by ONS and police of stolen cards in theft, robbery, burglary, and other acquisitive crime plus the potential long-term impact on adolescent offender onset and continuance. 10. Our Delphi survey was undertaken at the behest of Operation Talla, the national police operation in the pandemic, to inform their future strategy regarding crime and policing policy and practice. We anticipate further and future impact as the work continues to be published and disseminated.
First Year Of Impact 2020
Sector Government, Democracy and Justice,Other
Impact Types Societal,Policy & public services
 
Description Citation of research in documentation from Operation Talla, the national policing response to covid-19
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Citation in other policy documents
Impact We have maintained regular contact with analysts and managers from Operation Talla, the national policing response to COVID-19, throughout the research. Contact was initially facilitated by the representative from the National Police Chiefs' Council on our advisory board. This has led to regular interactions and to the citation of issue 13 of our Statistical Bulletin on Crime and COVID-19 in the analytic reports produced by Op Talla analysts. These are confidential reports for police management and so do not have a URL here
URL http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/170032/
 
Description Participation in 2021 burglary research panel of the Danish Crime Prevention Council
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
URL https://covid19-crime.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/92/2021/03/Farrell_Dixon_Tilley_2021_Pandemic_Bur...
 
Description Participation in Government Office of Science panel 'Rebuilding a Resilient Britain: Crime Prevention' (by Profs Farrell and Johnson)
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Membership of a guideline committee
URL https://www.upen.ac.uk/go_science/RRB4_CrimePrevention.pdf
 
Description Participation on Home Office working group on neighbourhood crime futures
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
 
Description Written evidence submitted to UK parliamentary inqujiry into government actions to combat waste crime
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to a national consultation/review
URL https://committees.parliament.uk/work/6712/government-actions-to-combat-waste-crime
 
Title Natural Language Processing of Police Data 
Description Natural Language Processing (NLP), a form of artificial intelligence, was used to interogate the text information held in police records. Police typically collect large amounts of information for rouine housekeeping and operational purposes, but most of this information goes unused for crime analysis, and therefore cannot inform policy and practice. The application of NLP was used to assess the nature of change in anti-social behaviour during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic. We believe this is the first application of NLP to police data in this fashion and that it has the potential to be used globally to inform policing. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2022 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact We, specifically project researcher Anthony Dixon, are continuing to develop the application of NLP to police data. There has been positive feedback from the regional police force (Lancashire Constabulary) about the work and how it has fed into their operational knowledge. We anticipate that impact will grow as the approach becomes more widely adopted to other aspects of policing and in other geographical regions and countries. 
 
Title Second lockdown effects on crime less pronounced in England and Wales 
Description Dramatic changes in recorded crime rates early in the first national lockdown (March-June), were followed by crime types moved back towards, but often remaining far from, expected levels in summer 2020 (JulySeptember). Turning points in crime in August or September coincided with the reimposition of restrictions. The second national lockdown in England in November produced less pronounced overall effects than the first, but broadly in line with the predicted 'w-model' of repeated lockdowns. Char 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2021 
Provided To Others? Yes  
URL http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/170032/
 
Description College of Policing participation in project National Advisroy Board 
Organisation College of Policing
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution The project team set up, hosts and chairs the National Advisory Board. The board advises at a strategic level on our programme of research.
Collaborator Contribution CoP participation in project National Advisory Board. The board meets quarterly to advise on research progress and plans and serves as a conduit for project information to feed to key national agencies.
Impact The project's National Advisory Board has guided the research strategy and overall direction, which has led in turn to the research publications, outputs and outcomes listed in other sections.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Delphi study of policing the pandemic and future threats to policing 
Organisation National Police Chiefs Council
Department National Police Coordination Centre (NPoCC)
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution We have conducted a Delphi study to elicit expert opinion from UK police forces about the policing of the pandemic and future priorities for the police community. We designed the study the study with the NPoCC, conducted the study, analysed the data and wrote the final report.
Collaborator Contribution The NPoCC were involved in all stages of the project from design to write up. They also identified and emailed respondents in the law enforcement community.
Impact A final report is currently being produced. This will be a key output for the NPoCC "Op Talla" response to COVID and the policing of pandemics. The report has a forward look at how policing might be affected by future pandemics and what needs to be done going forwards. It also covers questions around the future impacts of climate change, brexit and technological change on crime and policing.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Durham Constabulary 
Organisation Durham Constabulary
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution The research team is working with Durham police to develop evidence-based analyses that might inform policing policy and practice.
Collaborator Contribution Our point person at Durham police is DCI Lee Gosling. The collaboration is underpinned by a formal letter of support to the project application. The partner is providing expertise with respect to policing and access to information and data.
Impact No Durham-specific outputs so far.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Home Office participation in project National Advisory Committee 
Organisation Home Office
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution The research team developed and hosts the project National Advisory Board. The board meets quarterly to advise on research progress and plans and serves as a conduit for project inormation to feed to key national agencies.
Collaborator Contribution Home Office participation in project National Advisory Board. The board meets quarterly to advise on research progress and plans and serves as a conduit for project information to feed to key national agencies.
Impact The project's National Advisory Board has guided the research strategy and overall direction, which has led in turn to the research publications, outputs and outcomes listed in other sections.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Lancashire Police Service 
Organisation Lancashire Police Service
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution We have worked closely with Lancashire Constabulary to analyse their data relating to crime trends and patterns during the pandemic. Our analysis of the data has underpinned a range of the project publications to date.
Collaborator Contribution DCI Eric Halford at Lancashire Constabulary was our initial project partner. He facilitated and provided access to a range of police-related crime information. We further engaged with the head of data services at Lancs police, Laura Archer-Power, to develop a formal data sharing contract. This has allowed us to develop remote transfer and access to police data, now securely hosted at the Leeds Institute for Data Analytics (LIDA). The data has underpinned a number of the project publications to date.
Impact Halford, E., A. Dixon, G. Farrell, N. Malleson, N. Tilley. 2020. Coronavirus and crime: Social distancing, lockdown and the mobility elasticity of crime' Crime Science, 9(11); 1-12. Dixon, A., E. Halford and G. Farrell. 2020. Spatial distributive justice and crime in the covid-19 pandemic, Statistical Bulletin on Crime and COVID-19, issue 2. Leeds: University of Leeds.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Metropolitan Police Service 
Organisation Metropolitan Police Service
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution The project team is analysing the MPS data with a view to informing knowledge about crime and its prevention, policing policy and practice.
Collaborator Contribution Our partnership with Metropolitan Police Service is underpinned by a letter of support for the project application. MPS have provided extensive crime data that is stored in the secure lab at UCL.
Impact No MPS-specific outputs yet.
Start Year 2020
 
Description National Police Chiefs' Council participation in project National Advisory Board 
Organisation National Police Chiefs Council
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution The project team set up, hosts and chairs the National Advisory Board. The board advises at a strategic level on our programme of research.
Collaborator Contribution NPCC participation in project National Advisory Board. The board meets quarterly to advise on research progress and plans and serves as a conduit for project information to feed to key national agencies.
Impact The project's National Advisory Board has guided the research strategy and overall direction, which has led in turn to the research publications, outputs and outcomes listed in other sections.
Start Year 2020
 
Description National Police Chiefs' Council participation in project National Advisory Board 
Organisation National Police Chiefs Council
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution The project team set up, hosts and chairs the National Advisory Board. The board advises at a strategic level on our programme of research.
Collaborator Contribution NPCC participation in project National Advisory Board. The board meets quarterly to advise on research progress and plans and serves as a conduit for project information to feed to key national agencies.
Impact The project's National Advisory Board has guided the research strategy and overall direction, which has led in turn to the research publications, outputs and outcomes listed in other sections.
Start Year 2020
 
Description National survey of the impacts of COVID19 on perceptions of crime, harm and policing 
Organisation Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution We have designed and fielded a national survey to neighbourhood watch members and are in the process of analysing the data. The aim is to understand members' experience of crime (on and offline) before and during the pandemic, their perceptions of crime risk, changes to their routine activities, their online security behaviours, their perceptions of COVID-related policies and the policing response.
Collaborator Contribution Neighbourhood Watch helped with the survey questions and provided access to their member network.
Impact We are currently analysing the data collected (over 20K responses).
Start Year 2020
 
Description Pandemic burglary research with the Danish Crime Prevention Council (burglary research panel) 
Organisation Danish Crime Prevention Council
Country Denmark 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution We fed analysis from our research relating to burglary during the pandemic in England and Wales, and combined it with preliminary analysis for Denmark thart we were able to conduct using public data.
Collaborator Contribution The Danish Crime Prevention Council hosted the meeting.
Impact Our presentation to the Council comprised a preliminary cross-national comparative analysis that could lead to further publication. The outcomes and impact in Denmark would be determined by the Council based on our recommendation that crime opportunities are the main cause of both pandemic-related and long-term change to the rate of burglary in Denmark.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Pandemic burglary research with the Danish Crime Prevention Council (burglary research panel) 
Organisation Danish Crime Prevention Council
Country Denmark 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution We fed analysis from our research relating to burglary during the pandemic in England and Wales, and combined it with preliminary analysis for Denmark thart we were able to conduct using public data.
Collaborator Contribution The Danish Crime Prevention Council hosted the meeting.
Impact Our presentation to the Council comprised a preliminary cross-national comparative analysis that could lead to further publication. The outcomes and impact in Denmark would be determined by the Council based on our recommendation that crime opportunities are the main cause of both pandemic-related and long-term change to the rate of burglary in Denmark.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Discussion of work in national news 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Discussion in the Guardian newspaper of our Briefing on the role of facemasks as crime facilitators during the pandemic.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/apr/16/rise-in-suspects-using-face-coverings-to-mask-identi...
 
Description Founded and published briefing series 'JDI Special Papers on COVID-19' (26 issues by March 2021) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Prof Tilley (with Prof G. Laycock) founded and edits the briefing series 'JDI Special Papers on COVID-19'. There are 26 issues in the series by March 2021.

An indicator of esteem that has generated a wide international readership is that most of the series have been reproduced (with minor edits) in 'Policing Insight'. This is the leading practitiioner journal in the field and was named as our target in the funding proposal. This is an original and, to our knowledge, a unique publication series. Around half of the series have been written by the investigators and the remainder by others in the international research community. Hence the series has also served as a mechanism for researchers to quickly and accessibly convey information to a broad audience of practitioners and policy-makers.

The topics of the publications in the series are wide ranging, from crime-specific problems arising in the pandemic such as fly-tipping and theft of medical products, to the need to anticipate a possible vaccine-related crime wave, and to keep limits on contactless credit card payments. The impact of each would therefore be specific to its particular audience. Our widespread contacts with practitioners, combined with dissemination via Policing Insight, suggest that the series will have been hoghly influential.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.ucl.ac.uk/jill-dando-institute/research/covid-19-special-papers
 
Description Founded and published briefings series 'Statistical Bulletin on Crime and COVID-19' (13 issues published by March 2021) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact We founded and publish the briefing series (ISSN 2634-4424 ) 'The Statistical Bulletin on Crime and COVID-19'. There are 14 issues of the Bulletin to date. Each Bulletin is 2-pages in length and oriented at professional practitioners and policy-makers. It is designed to convey important summary statistical information about crime in the pandemic in a user-friendly format. Some of the Bulletins have been frther developed into full-length academic publications (for example, issue 9 'Six-Months-In: Pandemic Crime in England and Wales' was the precursor for a peer-reviewed study of the same name in the Crime Science journal. The Bulletin has been well received by our influential partners in police and policy-making. For example, the College of Policing has requested permisson to reproduce information from the Bulletins. Similarly, Op Talla (Operation Talla - the national operation to manage policing the pandemic) has reported significant use of the information which reflects our analytic capacity.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL http://www.covid19-crime.com
 
Description Interview for BBC Radio Scotland 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Graham Farrell interviewed on Radio Scotland on 15 October 2021 about our research into the crime risks of increased contactless card payment limits.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_radio_scotland_fm
 
Description Interview for BBC national news 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact The BBc news article included a URL link and discussion of our Briefing in the JDI Special Paper series #26 by Farrell and Tilley on the crime risks of increased contactless card payment limits.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58354855
 
Description Interview for BBC news 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Interview with BBC about our research into crime risks of increased contactless card payments. The impact is to raise the profile of the crime risk and induce monitoring of the problem in the future, as well as the risk of increased offending onset and continuance.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58898474
 
Description Interview for international news 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Extensive interview of principal investigator for major end-of-year article on crime in the pandemic in The Guardian newspaper online.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/27/the-great-opportunity-how-covid-transformed-global
 
Description Interview on BBC Radio Sheffield 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Graham Farrell interviewed on BBC Radio Sheffield on 15 October 2021 at 4.10pm about our research into the crime risks of increased contactless card payment limits.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_radio_sheffield
 
Description Interview on BBC Three Counties Radio 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Graham Farrell interviewed on BBC Three Counties Radio on 15 October 2021 at 4.25pm about our research into the crime risks of increased contactless card payment limits.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_three_counties_radio
 
Description Interview on Radio 4 'Today' Programme 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Graham Farrell interview broadcast on Radio 4 Today programme on 15 October 2021. The interview was about our research into the crime risks of increased contactless card limits.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qj9z
 
Description Invited public lecture on reducing the crime harms of COVID-19 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact This was an invited public lecture by Graham Farrell on reducing the crime harms of the pandemic:

Farrell, G. 2020. 'Reducing the crime harms of the coronavirus pandemic' presentation to the Policing Institute for the Eastern Region (PIER), 28 October 2020.
I subsequently received and accepted a request from the Police National Library to add the recording of the lecture to their collection, "in order to support police development and capture trends in policing."
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td0rdYkzidM
 
Description Media activity relating to contactless card payment increases 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Graham Farrell was interviewed by BBC financial correspondent Keven Peachey in relation to contactless card payment increases undertakend during the pandemic (initially to reduce contact that might spread the virus, and then to stimulate the economy by reducing friction at point of sale). It relates to two of our published studies - JDI Special Papers numbers 25 and 28 which argue that increased contactless card payments will generate crime. The interview was featured in the BBC news article and on the Radio 4 Today programme as well as other BBC stations, and filtered down to other news media outlets.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58898474
 
Description Musings on future crime and using data to understand online fraud during the pandemic 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact I was invited to give a presentation on our work which examined how the pandemic impacted upon online crime. The talk was attended by around 70 Home Office staff with a particular interest in data and analysis.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description National Advisory Group including Home Office, College of Policing and National Police Chiefs' Council 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact As part of the project we coordinated a National Advisory Board. The Board has representation from the Home Office, the College of Policing, and the National Police Chiefs' Council. The board has met quarterly and advised on all components of the research programme undertaken, and serves as a conduit between the research and these key national agencies. This included faclitating our engagement with Operation Talla, the national police operation to manage policing inthe pandemic, which has led to further engagement and the development of a Delphi experiment to inform the future work of Op Talla and other agencies.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL http://www.covid19-crime.com
 
Description Organisation of Research Seminar on Crime and COVID-19 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact As part of the project, we organised, hosted and participated in an online research seminar 'Reducing the Crime Harms of COVID-19'. The seminar was held on 09 December 2020 to mark six months of our UKRI project. There were 6 presentations including 4 from the project team plus two from colleagues on research relating to crime and the pandemic in Mexico and teh United States respectively. The seminar was attended by an international audience of 80 participants and generated a broad range of questions and discussion.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://covid19-crime.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/92/2021/03/flyer-for-Research-seminar-08Dec2020.p...
 
Description Participation in Government Office of Science panel to prepare report on Reduilding a Resilient Britain: Crime Prevention 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Professor Grahm Farrell and Professor Shane Johnson were invited, by the Government Ofice of Science, to participate in the panel to prepare the report on Rebuilding a Resilient Britain: Crime Prevention (panel 4). Panel members are listed in Annex 1 on p15 of the Nov 2020 report (URL below).
The panel met and prepared the report, including consideration of aspects of the covid-9 pandemic as well as crime prevenetion more generally, in the second half of 2020 and reported in November 2020.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.upen.ac.uk/go_science/RRB4_CrimePrevention.pdf
 
Description Presentation to the Home Office and other government departments on the impact of the pandemic on Cyber crime 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Presentation to Home Office (and other government departments) about the impact of the pandemic on online crime. There were over 70 attendees and it sparked discussions about what needs to be done to protect people online.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Public lecture on crime and COVID-19 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Presentation to UCL research seminar on crime and COVID-19 organised by Dr Matt Ashby:

Farrell, G. 2020. 'Crime and mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic' presentation to UCL Research Seminar on Crime and COVId-19, 16 July 2020.

In July 2020, this was one of the first international seminars on crime and COVID-19.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://mediacentral.ucl.ac.uk/Play/28553
 
Description The Economist article 'Policing in the Pandemic: How Britain's cops spent lockdown' discussed our work 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact The Principal Investigator was extensively interviewed by the British correspondent from The Economist with respect to crime and policing in the pandemic, resulting in direct reference to our research and work with Lancashire Constabulary in the opening paragraph of a key article on policing in the pandemic.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.economist.com/britain/2020/07/09/how-britains-cops-spent-lockdown