I work across the UK and increasingly internationally as a researcher and consultant in the field of volunteer policing. I am a visiting research fellow at the Institute for Public Safety, Crime and Justice, University of Northampton, visiting associate professor at the University of Central Florida, USA, and a visiting scholar at UTAR, Malaysia.

My Fellowship aims to improve the experience and impact of volunteer police. Volunteer police have a massive potential contribution to bring to many of the big challenges of modern policing. Tens of thousands volunteer as police officers across many countries. The aim is to bring learning from volunteer programmes in the Netherlands, the USA and Canada to help improve and grow the roles of volunteer Special Constables in the UK, helping develop more effective, sustainable, inclusive and engaging volunteering.

My intended impact is on improving the attraction, onboarding, engagement and retention of longer-serving Special Constables, increasing female participation and improving the experience of female volunteers, strengthening leadership models, improving cultural and operational integration, and reversing the reduction in numbers.