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First Flexible Funding Awards

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Following the first round of applications to the TYP-ACE flexible fund call, we are pleased to announce the award of two Collaborative Research Awards.

Both projects are working in partnership with Yorkshire-based police forces, focusing on the priority areas of crime prevention and building public trust (ARIs). We look forward to seeing the positive outcomes and impact of these projects over the coming months

Funded Projects

The use of GenAI by police call handlers to identify self-harm and suicidal ideation in the context of domestic abuse: An exploratory study

Dr Sam Lewis – School of Law, University of Leeds

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has long been a feature of policing. For example, the use of Machine Learning to support predictive analytics (e.g., identifying crime ‘hot spots’), administrative tasks (e.g., automated call transcription), and complex data analysis is well established. The advent of generative AI (GenAI), however, is said to have brought policing to ‘the brink of a once-in-a-generation reform’ (NPCC 2026). Plans to embed AI across policing include a £115m national centre for AI in Policing (Policing.AI), due to launch in 2026, that will ‘centralise and streamline the development, evaluation and rollout of AI tools’ (NPCC 2026).

Forces at the forefront of these developments are already exploring the strategic use of AI in priority areas. At a time when domestic abuse victim suicides outnumber domestic abuse-related homicides (NPCC 2025), West Yorkshire Police is exploring the use of AI to support early identification of self-harm (SH) and suicidal ideation (SI) among victims of domestic abuse. This could enable faster referrals to life-saving services and reveal the prevalence of SH and SI among DA victims known to police – an ongoing knowledge gap. This collaborative research project will compare the identification of SH and SI amongst DA victims who come to West Yorkshire Police’s attention over a four-month period, by call handlers and an AI model.

Mapping the incidence and impact of digitally-enabled coercive control in York and North Yorkshire

Dr Susan Watson – School for Business and Society, University of York

This project investigates digitally enabled coercive control in York and North Yorkshire (YNY) by analysing qualitative data gathered from North Yorkshire Police, Victim Support, and other stakeholders. Despite the rising use of surveillance technologies (e.g. doorbell cameras, GPS tracking devices, and location-sharing tools) for digitally enabled coercive control, academic research utilising such evidence from both law enforcement and survivors remains limited. This project addresses this critical knowledge gap.

Working alongside regional partners and practitioners, the research pursues five strategic objectives:

  1. Scale: How many offences over a defined period include an element of digitally‑enabled coercive control?
  2. Nature: What commonalities exist across cases reported to police?
  3. Training and support: What knowledge gaps do police officers identify, what obstacles arise from these gaps, and what training or resources would improve investigative practice?
  4. Securing future dissemination of best practice: How can best practice from other forces be rapidly shared with frontline officer
  5. Improvements: How can support for victim‑survivors be strengthened? Insights from individuals with lived experience and organisations working in this area will inform recommendations for improved service provision.

By mapping the experiences of survivors and practitioners, this study aims to refine local responses, ensuring that policing policy and responses on the ground keep pace with the rapidly evolving technological landscape of domestic abuse.

If you are interested in applying for funding for a policing related project, see details of our next calls on our webpage – TYP-ACE Flexible fund

Training empowers park staff to tackle harassment

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Hundreds of park staff and volunteers across the UK have been trained in how to spot, safely challenge, and prevent harassment or behaviour which could stop women feeling safe in public places.

The ‘Stand Up Against Harassment’ training, delivered by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust and tailored for parks staff by University of Leeds researchers, has seen more than 400 staff learn about the “5Ds” of bystander intervention, and the academics involved now want to see the programme rolled out to park workers across the country.

The School of Law’s Dr Anna Barker said: “We know that safer parks are not just about better lighting or design – they’re about people. This training gives staff and volunteers the confidence to act when they see or hear something that isn’t right. It empowers communities to look out for each other.”

A new report, Safer Parks: Fostering a Community of Active Bystanders for the UK’s Green Spaces, by Dr Barker and her colleague Dr Rebecca Brunk, includes evaluation of the training which shows:

94% of people who attended felt confident or empowered to act as bystanders
Confidence and skills to intervene significantly increased after training
Participants valued the opportunity to discuss and apply their learning through park-based scenarios based on real experiences of women and girls.
The report builds on researchers’ earlier findings showing that harassment in parks is a key factor affecting women’s and girls’ feelings of safety.

The report identifies active bystander training as a key gap among park workers and volunteers, calling for local councils and park managers to make it a compulsory part of staff induction and regular refresher training.

This training gives staff and volunteers the confidence to act when they see or hear something that isn’t right.
Dr Anna Barker, University of Leeds School of Law
The researchers found that almost two-thirds (65%) of park staff and volunteers had never received any sexual harassment training before taking part. Around a third (31%) had witnessed harassment, while 27% were unsure – suggesting that some may not recognise certain behaviours as harassment and reinforcing the need for clearer definitions and training.

Dr Barker said the need for such training is clear, with research by L’Oreal Paris showing that 80 percent of UK women have experienced public harassment, yet 75% report that no one stepped in.

The report was launched on Tuesday 25 November – the UN’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women – and at the beginning of the UNITE campaign’s 16 Days of Activism. To coincide with this campaign the Suzy Lamplugh Trust is offering free Stand Up Against Harassment bystander training to anyone working or volunteering in parks and green spaces.

Dr Anna Barker speaking at an event about Safer Parks in May 2023
Dr Anna Barker speaking at an event about Safer Parks in May 2023 – Mark Bickerdike/University of Leeds

The Suzy Lamplugh Trust’s Saskia Garner added: “Everyone deserves to feel safe enjoying our parks. Becoming an active bystander is something we can all do to help make that a reality.”

The training was offered to parks staff and volunteers in Cardiff, Wigan, Doncaster, London, Hartlepool and Rugby between October 2024 and September 2025, with a total of 245 people taking part across the six regions. It followed an earlier pilot scheme in West Yorkshire in 2024, when around 180 people took part.

The bespoke half-day sessions were designed using real world situations to give attendees a better idea of women’s experiences using parks.

Everyone deserves to feel safe enjoying our parks. Becoming an active bystander is something we can all do to help make that a reality.
Saskia Garner, Suzy Lamplugh Trust
The report also offers a series of policy and practice recommendations, from quick wins to longer-term strategic changes.

In a foreword to the report, Paul Todd, Green Flag Award accreditation manager, added: “We strongly encourage the parks and green space sector to empower staff with the ability and confidence to take action to make our parks safer for women and girls by completing the training and becoming active bystanders.”

Further information
For further information or to arrange interviews, please contact University of Leeds media officer Victoria Prest via email on [email protected]
The full report Safer Parks: Fostering a Community of Active Bystanders for the UK’s Green Spaces is available to download. DOI: 10.48785/100%2F368
Sign up to take free Stand Up Against Harassment bystander training with the Suzy Lamplugh Trust.
Visit the campaign webpage for further information and resources.
Main image: University of Leeds/ Mark Bickerdike