PhD Studentship – Enhancing predictive policing capability

PhD Studentship – Enhancing predictive policing capability

Applications are invited for a PhD studentship funded by Loughborough University to start in October 2016. The project will be based in the Department of Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering (AAE) at Loughborough University and supervised by both the department of AAE and the School of Business and Economics.

With reducing public sector budgets it is imperative that police forces deliver a response service that meets expected targets in the most efficient manner possible. To achieve this, the optimal positioning of patrol officers can be key to deterring incidents and also the timely arrival at incidents that do occur.

Previous research at Loughborough has looked at a modelling framework for this predictive policing capability and this PhD project aims to enhance the capability further to consider Police/crime traits such as crime types, victimisation and the crime dispersion patterns as well as other social factors like visibility to the public within the modelling. Hence the modelling tools previously developed will be extended and refined in order to take these factors into account and also to operate in real time. Applicants will be expected to have a strong background in mathematics, engineering or computer science to enable them to develop the positioning and optimisation algorithms.

Due to the nature of the study successful applicants will be required to pass police vetting before confirmation of the award.
The studentship is for 3 years and is intended to start in October 2016.The studentship provides a tax free stipend of £14,057 (expected to increase in October 2016) per annum for the duration of the studentship plus tuition fees at the UK/EU rate. Please note that due to restrictions imposed by the funder only students with a UK/EU fee status will be considered for this position.
Students will normally need to hold, or expect to gain, at least a 2:1 degree (or equivalent) in Engineering, Mathematics or Computer Science. A relevant Master’s degree and/or experience in one or more of the following will be an advantage: mathematical modelling, reliability modelling.

For informal enquiries about the project, please contact Dr Sarah Dunnett: [Email Address Removed] or Dr Ross Ritchie: [Email Address Removed]
To apply, please complete the online application here http://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/apply/research/ . Under programme name select ‘Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering’

The closing date for applications is 17th June 2016
Please quote the following reference when applying: AAE-SD-1601