International Journal of Police Science & Management

The International Journal of Police Science and Management is a peer-reviewed journal that aims to promote a cross-disciplinarity approach to the sharing of innovative, impactful research in the ever-evolving world of science aligned to policing. The five Editors represent distinct areas within this broad discipline including: (1) the role of psychology in policing and investigation, (2) the application of forensic science to investigations, (3) technological advances and implementation, (4) cybercrime and the digital space, and (5) criminology and global policing including human rights and conflict. Though all submissions are welcomed within the scope of the Journal.

Psychology has been at the forefront of science within the policing world for many years. Indeed, Dr. Ian McKenzie and Prof. Jennifer Brown, the founding editors of IJPSM, are both psychologists. Psychological research and theory have been at the juxta-position of real-world problems for decades and thus psychology is central to implementing research-based practice.

Forensic Science is vast in scope and crucial in many investigations, ranging from routine volume crime scene examination methodology through to niche forensic sciences. Current and future research focuses on providing a relevant, impactful and validated evidence base across the discipline. Topics welcomed will align to the application of science to death scene investigation and reconstruction in areas such as; all aspects of taphonomy, trace evidence, digital technologies, genetics, drugs and toxicology, marks and impressions, ballistics, and decision-making & heuristics.

Technological Advances offer significant opportunities for enhancing criminal justice practice. Rapid identification, detection, monitoring and surveillance systems, and Big Data are increasingly being used in law enforcement, while immersive technologies such as AR and VR are at the forefront of research, education, training, and practice. Efforts must be made to ensure that the application of emerging technology is beneficial, ethical, and fit for purpose. Equally, the sharing of evidence and good practice is key to the further development of technology with the specific requirements of the criminal justice system in mind.

Cybercrime in its various forms presents unprecedented risks to individuals, organisations and nations across the world. Significant steps are being taken to research these 'new' and evolving forms of crimes, their risks and impacts offline, and the ways in which cyberspace can be policed and controlled. New and rapidly changing landscapes of crime are emerging, illuminating new patterns of cyber offending, cyber victimhood and the pressing need for the development of cyber safety policies with a global reach. There is a need to nurture the implicit and direct interplay between ongoing research in this field, and the industry experts, policymakers and policing agencies that are responsible for the practical, moderation and mitigation of these crimes.

Global policing includes topics such as international criminal justice, international and regional police cooperation, comparative approaches to international policing models, and the role, function and policy-making process of international criminal justice bodies. Policing and the human rights system within International Organisations is a central area of focus. Topics such as war-crimes, gender-based violence in conflict, post-conflict policing, and peacebuilding are examples of areas within this field.

Criminology. Contemporary criminology inhabits a rapidly changing landscape. The concept, definition and explanation of the criminal act and of criminal behaviour have formulated criminological theory as a living history over the centuries. Criminology has been shaped through its history by many and varied disciplines: the early positive sciences, the classical school, psychology, psychoanalysis, sociology, politics, geography, history, anthropology, economics, political science, jurisprudence, legal theory, biology and even human genetics. Criminological enquiry revolves around the analysis of the causes of crime and an evaluation of society’s response to crime. Criminology and police studies are therefore inevitably intertwined. Theoretically, culturally and operationally, the policy implications necessitate an ongoing discussion between the two, so as to bridge the gap between academic study and police practice.

Environmental Justice is a broad subject area that includes wildlife crime, the marginalisation of communities through the exposure to hazardous waste and resource extraction. It combines with Green Criminology and also discusses ethics and issues arising from neo-colonialism and inequality.