Prestigious international prize for Dundee academic

Published On Fri 2 May 2014 by Grant Hill

Professor Nicholas Fyfe, Director of the Scottish Institute of Policing Research (SIPR), based at the University of Dundee, has been named as the joint winner of a prestigious international award for crime policy.

The Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy (CEBCP), based at George Mason University in Washington, have named Professor Fyfe as the winner of their Distinguished Achievement Award, along with Jeremy Travis, President of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, University of New York.

Professor Fyfe is only the second British recipient of the award, the other being former Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police and Chief Executive of the National Policing Improvement Agency, Peter Neyroud. 

Professor Cynthia Lum, Director of CEBCP, congratulated the winners, saying, “Each year we have selected two individuals who over the course of their careers have shown exceptional commitment to create and build the research-to-practice links that the CEBCP strives toward. The award is unique in the field of criminology and criminal justice, and celebrates a challenging accomplishment that few are able to achieve.”

Professor Fyfe’s contribution to evidence-based policing policy and practice has been built on academic excellence and he has published four books, including ‘Protecting Intimidated Witnesses’ which has been described as the definitive guide to the issue.

In addition, he has authored over 20 book chapters and more than 40 journal articles on a wide number of subjects within policing including environmental criminology, CCTV and surveillance, witness protection and organised crime, police investigations of missing people, community engagement, privatisation, and organisational reform. 

In 2006, Professor Fyfe led a successful bid on behalf of the 12 Scottish Higher Education Institutions, to secure funding from the Scottish Funding Council and the Association of Chief Police Officers of Scotland (ACPOS) to establish SIPR.  

Focused on improving the evidence base for policing policy and practice, SIPR has become an internationally recognised model of police-academic partnership and works in close collaboration with Police Scotland. In 2009, Professor Fyfe was appointed Fellow of the Scottish Police College in recognition of his “significant and sustained contribution to the education and training of police officers and staff”.

Professor Fyfe said, “It is a huge honour to receive this award and to have this international recognition of work I have been engaged in over 20 years focused on using research evidence to improve policing. 

“Although it is an individual award, it also very much recognises the collective contribution of colleagues within the Scottish Institute for Policing Research who have helped  make the Institute a world-leader in police-academic collaboration committed to developing evidence-based approaches to policing policy and practice.”

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