A recent study on police use of Taser in England and Wales began to expose the multiple factors that may be driving these patterns of policing. However, given the complexity of the issue, it remains unclear what needs to be done to positively address the statistics their negative impact upon public perceptions of policing, particularly among marginalised communities. To move our understanding forward and to help police forces confront these challenges, in a theory informed and evidence-based manner, the Keele University Academic Police Collaboration (KPAC) and the NPCC Less lethal Weapon leadership[1] are bringing  together a team of leading academics and key strategic police leaders to create a two-day conference developed specifically to explore and discuss the way forward for police forces. 

The aim of the event is to help stimulate informed operationally relevant thinking and discussion about police legitimacy and ethnic disproportionality in the exercise of police powers. The conference will revolve around a series of inputs and facilitated discussion.

On Day One, the event begins with sessions exploring the findings of the NPCC commissioned research on the drivers of ethnic disproportionality in police use of Taser. The conference will then move on to explore theoretical understanding of police citizen encounters, specifically the utility and limitations of procedural fairness as a vehicle for improving police legitimacy.

Following a conference dinner, Day Two will begin by exploring and discussing the conclusions, recommendations, and implications of a recent Academic Panel report for the NPCC Legitimacy Working Group. In line with that report this event explores the potential of neighbourhood policing as the way forward for improving public perceptions of police legitimacy and effectiveness, but also highlights the challenges there might be in driving effective change in the ways that policing is delivered. 

Day One

09.00 - 09.15	Welcome and introduction	Prof. Clifford Stott
09.15 - 10.00	Introduction from the Taser Disproportionality Technical Support Group	Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi and/or Andy Harding NPCC
10.00 - 10.30	Refreshments
10.30 - 12.00	The drivers of ethnic disproportionality in Police use of Taser	The TASERD research team
12.00 - 12.30	Facilitated discussion
12.30 - 13.30	Lunch
13.30 - 14.30	Procedural Justice Theory: Critiques, limitations, and opportunities for policing	Dr Arabella Kyprianides, Dr Leanne Savigar-Shaw & Dr Matt Radburn
14.30 - 15.00	Refreshment break
15.00 - 16.00	Keynote: To be agreed	Professor Ben Bradford
16.00 - 17.00	Keynote: Police Legitimacy: Building Anti-fragile Legitimacy in Policing	Dr Justice Tankebe
18.30 - 22.00	Conference dinner and drink

Day Two

08.30 - 09.00	Academic advice to the NPCC working panel on police legitimacy	Professor Clifford Stott
09.00 - 10.00	Keynote: The Rise and Fall Neighbourhood Policing	Professor Martin Innes
10.00 - 10.30	Refreshments
10.30 - 11.30	Keynote: Lessons learnt from the National Reassurance Policing Programme (NRPP) & Race Action Plan	Dr Paul Quinton
11.30 - 12.30	Data collaboration for future legitimacy	Professor Stan Gilmour
12.30 - 13.30	Lunch
13.30 - 14.30	Facilitated discussion: ways forward in understanding and managing public perceptions of policing	Professors Marcus Beale & Stan Gilmour
14.30	Concluding remarks and departure

The cost of this event is £200 per person. This price includes dinner on the evening of 27 February 2024, together with refreshments for both days.  

Please email Deborah Tallent at Keele University on d.j.tallent@keele.ac.uk who will direct you to the registration link and answer any questions you may have both about the content of the two days, but also advice regarding local hotels and travel arrangements.

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