N8 PRP hosted a collaborative and interdisciplinary event for police practitioners and researchers examining how to improve police investigations. 

Professor Layla Skinns chairs a panel of the speakers.

On 21 January 2026, the University of Lancaster welcomed the N8 PRP Northern Evidence Based Policing Hub for a knowledge exchange event, What Makes a ‘Good’ Investigation? Evidence, Victims, Specialism, and the Realities of Policing. 

The event was held with the support of the Lancaster Policing Academic Centre of Excellence.

Professor Layla Skinns, interim N8 PRP Director, welcomed 32 delegates to the day. In sessions looking at interview skills, digital evidence, specialism, and best practice in training and victim-centred service, speakers from academia and policing discussed the challenges and practicalities for investigative policing. 

Delegates also took part in Operation Northgate, an immersive forensic linguistics training exercise at the University of Lancaster’s Data Immersion Centre.

“Every officer is an investigator”

– DCC Katy Barrow-Grint

Delegates heard from keynote speaker DCC Katy Barrow-Grint, NPCC Lead for Investigations, on the challenges and goals for improving investigation in policing. In the following sessions on ‘Evidence, Skills and Strategies’, and ‘Specialism and Putting Victims First’, speakers and delegates engaged in lively discussions, with key themes emerging on the nature and value of specialism, what makes effective training, and the relationship between effective evidence gathering and providing a good service to victims.

In the final session of the day, speakers and delegates discussed their priorities on how improving investigation and outcomes. These included the complexity of demand, the role of oversight, and the issue of resourcing on demand and workload. The day ended with a discussion of the value and importance of collaborative policing research, and the importance of ensuring evidence-based recommendations are grounded in the realities of policing.

“All of the presentations and the panel were excellent!”

– respondent to the evaluation survey

Feedback from delegates was highly positive, with respondents identifying ideas and actions they had taken from the day including opportunities for research collaboration and areas of practice they wanted to learn more about. 

A full event report and the all presentation slides are available at the Events Archive. If you would like more information on any of the topics covered, please contact the speakers directly or get in touch with the N8 PRP project manager, helen.gordon-smith@manchester.ac.uk.

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