SSI to ‘re-energise’ work to address global crime
The new director at the University of Huddersfield’s Secure Societies Institute (SSI) aims to “re-energise” its work to help address global security challenges such as terrorism, modern slavery, child sexual abuse and cybercrime.
Professor Jason Roach says he will “revive opportunities” for researchers and crime practitioners to come together to develop innovative solutions to real-world crime, policing and security problems.
He admits the institute needed “re-energising” after the global pandemic forced it to “grind to a halt”, cancelling many of its activities and collaborative events.
As the new director of the SSI, Professor Roach intends to raise the international and public profile of the institute.
With a potential membership of more than 100 university staff and post-graduate researchers, the SSI brings together knowledge, skills, methodologies and expertise from diverse disciplines such as forensic science, architecture, product design, digital forensics, policing, law and forensic podiatry, as well as the more traditional crime-focused ones such as criminology and psychology.
Professor Roach, the university’s Professor of Crime and Policing, and currently director of the university’s Applied Criminology and Policing Centre, said the SSI will continue to have the same purpose and function as before. This means bringing together researchers and practitioners who work, or have an interest in, security, policing and crime, not just from within the university but also internationally, forging links and collaborations with high-calibre universities and research agencies around the world, he explained.
Professor Roach said research will continue to be practitioner-led, ensuring that solutions are directly influenced by the needs of those working to reduce crime and terrorist threats and to build stronger, safer communities.
“We are planning to hold a series of lunchtime workshops,” said Professor Roach.
“These will be led initially by local practitioners from within Kirklees and West Yorkshire and attended by as many SSI members as possible so as to address a particular pressing problem.
“We will then work together to generate potential solutions or come up with external funding bid ideas so research can be carried out to address the problems highlighted.”
A new SSI steering group, which consists of at least two representatives from each of the university’s six schools, will also be established.
Professor Roach says this will be a “valuable mechanism” in helping drive a big change forward, providing support and guidance while also keeping an eye on progress to ensure everything stays on track.
“The SSI is built on the premise of sharing the knowledge that we already have, but also adding value to produce something exciting, innovative and truly inter-disciplinary,” said Professor Roach who has co-authored four books and written more than 30 research papers on topics such as self-selection policing, investigative decision-making, criminal investigation, counter-terrorism, child homicide, crime-prevention and many other wider policing and crime issues.
Professor Roach is encouraging anyone who is interested in the work of the SSI and/or becoming a member to contact him directly on j.roach@hud.ac.uk.