Events

The University of Liverpool Criminal Justice Unit and the N8 Policing Research Partnership are holding a nightlife event for stakeholders – from police, PCCs, public health, the event industry, the security industry and academia – to discuss current issues facing nightlife, including safety, security, alcohol and other drugs, violence, spiking and sexual harassment.

The event is an opportunity to share knowledge between stakeholders across academia, industry and the criminal justice system and will include an afternoon workshop session on future policy and research directions to overcome key challenges facing nightlife. These workshops will specifically focus on: private and public securitisation; drugs, alcohol and nightlife; and gendered victimisation.

Confirmed speakers:

Katy Porter: CEO, The Loop Drug Checking Service (charity)

Carly Heath: Bristol City Council NTE Advisor & Chair of Bristol Nights

Jason Harwin: Consultant & Senior Advisor (former Police Chief Officer)

Dr Carly Lightowlers: SLSJ, University of Liverpool

Jon Drape: Event Director, Engine No.4, Warehouse Project & Parklife

Dr Mathew Flynn: Director of the Institute of Popular Music, University of Liverpool

Andi Herring (he/him): Director, Journey Event Mgmt and Co-founder & Former CEO, LCR Pride Foundation

Professor Fiona Measham: SLSJ, University of Liverpool / N8 PRP institution lead

Dr Ellen Reeves: SLSJ, University of Liverpool, Co-Director Criminal Justice Unit, Director N8 PRP NRiPN

The 2025 N8 PRP Policing Innovation Forum will be a day of knowledge exchange and innovation. Researchers, police, and other stakeholders will engage with the latest research and cutting-edge, practice-led projects, to find new approaches, new research questions, and new partners for collaboration to improve how we navigate neurodiversity in the crimial justice system.

This ninth Innovation Forum will feature a keynote from ACC Matt Welsted, NPCC Lead for Neurodiversity, a panel on Effective Participation with Dr John Taggart (Queens University Belfast) and Dr Alice Siberry (Creased Puddle), chaired by Dr Tom Smith (UWE Bristol), and roundtable discussions on Youth Justice with Dr Anne-Marie Day (MMU), the Custody Screening Pilot at Cumbria Constabulary, and Staff Support with Jack Fitzpatrick (LJMU) and Jake Harrison, who leads the HMICFRS-recognised support network at South Yorkshire Police. Further speakers will be announced in due course.

There will be an ECR/PGR Poster Exhibition at the Forum; if you would like to submit a poster, please see the call on the registration link.

A pre-Forum dinner will be held on the evening of 25 June in York; please indicate on your registration whether you would like to attend.

PGRs and ECRs are invited to join a discussion between academics and police partners about how they have navigated differing meanings of ‘impact’ in their projects in order to produce research that is important and meaningful to both academics and police. Attendees will hear from academics Dr Antoinette Huber, Dr Laura Bainbridge and police partner Danny Gavin. There will be a q&a session, and attendees are encouraged to ask questions about developing their own work.

Panel

• Dr Antoinette Huber, University of Liverpool
• Dr Laura Bainbridge, University of Leeds
• DS Danny Gavin, Merseyside Police

We’re currently planning more events – to stay informed, ask your N8 PRP lead to include you in updates, follow us on twitter @n8prp, or watch this space!