Prepare a briefing note that will be presented at the next police action group.

Paper details:

You have been asked by the Borough Commander to prepare a briefing note that will be presented at the next police action group. The group, chaired by the Council, consists of police officers from the local area as well as local representatives and stakeholders who meet quarterly to discuss local crime and anti social issues in the area and set a strategic plan to deal with them.

The report will refer to one or more key issues in the neighbourhood (such as vandalism, public disorder, drug use) and identify the academic theories and policing concepts that could be used to form a basis from which they can start tackling the issue(s).

Remember there is a balance to be struck between the number of issues you choose (breadth of discussion) and the depth with which you can go with your discussion, as the word count is tight. You are encouraged to use language and layout that suits the audience.

You do not need to come up with a detailed solution – the Commander is particularly interested in your expertise as a criminologist and as such would like your report to focus on what theories are related to their crime issues and describing how they can be used to understand what is going on in the neighbourhood, as the police and stakeholders need to link their practical knowledge with your academic knowledge.