About Us
What is the Centre for Operational Police Research?
Launched in 2014, the Centre for Operational Police Research (COPR, pronounced “Copper”) was founded by a small group of researchers from Warwick University’s Law School, Psychology Department and Business School. Since then, COPR has expanded into a multi-disciplinary research centre that unites more than 25 researchers of all levels, and from all faculties, across the Warwick University community.
Our work ranges from large comparative projects, experimental work, and the provision of advice to police investigators, government and policy bodies, to working with doctoral students on topics of contemporary importance in policing.
Professor Jackie Hodgson (School of Law) and Professor Kimberley Wade (Psychology Department) are the Co-Directors of the Centre.
COPR is dedicated to encouraging and promoting high-quality, intellectually innovative research with clear policy and practice implications. The purpose of the Centre is to:
- Enhance collaboration and cooperation between researchers, the police, and a broad range of key stakeholders
- Provide a strong, coherent external identity for Warwick’s emergent academic group and to strengthen the interdisciplinary nature of our collaboration
- Serve as a platform for public engagement activities
By uniting world-leading researchers from a broad range of disciplines, including law, psychology, sociology, business, politics and international studies, and engineering, COPR offers a new approach to policing research. Our members have expertise in areas such as organisational and individual behaviour, digital forensics, cyber security, investigative interviews, immigration, ethical challenges around policing technology, as well as the legal regulation of criminal investigations, police custody and suspects' rights.
Find out more about the research that our COPR members are engaged with.