Avon & Somerset Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC) Clare Moody visited campus on Friday 9 January to learn more about our policing and public safety research, and to discuss how universities, police and local partners can work together to enhance student safety and community relations across Bath.
During the visit, the PCC toured facilities within the University’s Institute for Digital Security and Behaviour (IDSB) and heard about a range of applied research projects designed to support policing and crime prevention.
A particular focus was the new Bath Policing Academic Centre of Excellence (Bath P-ACE), part of a national network funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and the National Police Chiefs’ Council to strengthen collaboration between researchers and policing partners.
Bath P-ACE brings together multidisciplinary expertise from across the University to develop evidence-based responses to key policing challenges. Its work spans areas including neighbourhood policing, counter-terrorism, online harms, neurodiversity and policing, and the wellbeing of police officers, as well as enduring challenges such as building public trust and tackling climate change. It has a strong emphasis on translating research into practical tools, training and operational insight.
The PCC also heard about a range of complementary research projects focused on digital security, online harms and place-based crime prevention.
This included work by the Institute for Digital Security and Behaviour on understanding and mitigating digital abuse, research supporting the Rephrain Safer Streets programme to strengthen data-driven approaches to tackling anti-social behaviour and violence, and collaborative work with police forces to identify and respond to the emerging risks of spice-spiked vapes among young people.
Together, the projects demonstrate how interdisciplinary research at Bath is supporting prevention-focused, operationally-relevant policing.
Avon & Somerset PCC Clare Moody said: "It was an insightful day visiting the University of Bath’s Institute for Digital Security and Behaviour and learning about applied research projects that support policing and crime prevention.
"Connecting policing with academic expertise is vital to tackling the complex challenges we face. The innovative research at the University of Bath demonstrates how evidence-based approaches can make a real difference in keeping people safe and building secure communities."
The visit also included a roundtable discussion with representatives from the wider University, Student Community Partnership (SCP) and Bath Students’ Union. The discussion focused on enhancing student safety on campus and in the city, strengthening relationships between students and long-term residents, and ensuring that academic research is closely aligned with real-world policing and community needs.
A central theme was the role of the SCP, a long-standing collaboration between Bath’s universities, students’ unions and Bath & North East Somerset Council. The partnership works to promote community cohesion, address issues affecting both students and residents, and support safety in areas such as housing, the night-time economy and neighbourhood relations.
Corinne Evans, Executive Director (External Relations), who chaired the session, said: "Keeping our students and wider community safe is a shared responsibility, and Clare's visit was a valuable opportunity to explore how the University can continue working closely with Avon & Somerset Police and other local partners. Through strong partnerships and open dialogue, we’re committed to supporting prevention, building trust, and helping to ensure Bath remains a safe and welcoming city for everyone who lives and studies here.”
Dr Rachel Arnold, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) who attended the discussion from a research perspective, added: "The visit from Clare Moody provided us with an excellent opportunity to present some of our existing research projects focused on policing and public safety, but also reflect on potential new collaborations that align University of Bath research strengths with the PCC's Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Plan.
"The timely award of our Bath Policing Academic Centre of Excellence (Bath-PACE) provides one mechanism via which we can further strengthen our collaboration with Clare and Avon and Somerset Police to develop evidence-based approaches to address key challenges in policing. My thanks to all the researchers involved in the showcase for the PCC."