About Disportionality

The issue of disproportionality in policing has been a topic of ongoing concern in many countries, including the UK. Staffordshire is no exception, with studies showing that ethnic minorities and groups suffering from multiple indices of deprivation are overrepresented in the criminal justice system, particularly in arrests, stops and searches, and the use of force by police officers. This PhD research aims to explore the drivers of disproportionality in policing in Staffordshire to inform practical solutions.

Research Question: What are the drivers of disproportionality in policing in Staffordshire, and how can these be addressed to promote greater equity and fairness in policing?

Objectives: The objectives of this research are to:
· Conduct a comprehensive systematic review of existing research on disproportionality in policing to identify key drivers and factors contributing to this issue.
· Analyse empirical data including crime, stop and search and use of force data to quantify the key groups affected by disproportionality in policing. 
· Perform thematic analysis on observational data from body worn videos, police training, and police-public interactions to understand drivers of the disproportionality.
· Triangulate data from quantitative and qualitative findings of the drivers of disproportionality in policing in Staffordshire and discuss at stakeholder meetings to identify key areas that need addressing.
· Develop practical solutions and recommendations tailored to Staffordshire to address these drivers and promote greater equity and fairness in policing.

This research will use a mixed-methods approach that combines both qualitative and quantitative methods. A comprehensive systematic review will be conducted to identify existing research on disproportionality in policing. Descriptive quantitative data analysis of crime, stop and search and use of force data from one geographic location in the United Kingdom will be performed to describe the extent of the issue of disproportionality and key groups impacted. Thematic analysis of body worn videos, police training, and police-public interactions will be conducted to give greater understanding of the drivers of the disproportionality. Quantitative and qualitative data will be triangulated, and findings will be discussed in stakeholder meetings involving police officers, members of the public, and other stakeholders in Staffordshire to identify core drivers of disproportionality and opinions on how to tackle these. Findings from the stakeholder meeting will be discussed within the research team and combined with existing theoretical research to develop practical solutions and recommendations tailored to Staffordshire to address these drivers and promote greater equity and fairness in policing. Findings will be validated through expert consultation and triangulation with existing research to enable generalisation to other areas within the UK.

Expected Outcomes: This research aims to generate new insights into the drivers of disproportionality in policing in Staffordshire and provide practical solutions to address this issue in the context of Staffordshire. The research findings will inform the development of policies and strategies tailored to Staffordshire that promote greater equity and fairness in policing. By engaging with police officers, members of the public, and other stakeholders in Staffordshire. This research will contribute to greater understanding and awareness of this issue in the local context and promote constructive dialogue and collaboration to address it. Through gaining expert opinions (i.e., policy holders, senior researchers) and triangulating data with data from other areas and theoretical knowledge findings could be generalised to other UK locations.

Conclusion: This research proposes to explore the drivers of disproportionality in policing to inform practical solutions. By combining qualitative and quantitative methods, this research aims to generate new insights into this issue and develop practical recommendations tailored to Staffordshire that promote greater equity and fairness in policing in the local area as well as providing findings that can be generalised to other UK locations. The outcomes of this research will contribute to the development of evidence-based policies and strategies to address disproportionality, and promote greater social justice and equality in both Staffordshire