An academic from London Metropolitan University is to lead an international project that will shape the security policies of countries around the world.
Date: 30/07/2012
An academic from London Metropolitan University is to lead an international project that will shape the security policies of countries around the world.
Dr Tim Parsons, who lectures in the Criminology department at London Met’s Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, has been made the Lead Consultant of the Community Policing and Prevention of Terrorism initiative, run by OSCE (the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe).
It is a fantastic achievement for Tim, who epitomises the quality and expertise of London Met’s academic staff.
He said: “It’s quite a big responsibility, but I’m really pleased to have been selected to lead the project. We’ve done some fantastic work at London Met over the last few years on international policing issues, and this strengthens our profile as a serious player in the field.”
The project will lead to a series of guidelines on how best to use community policing approaches to combat extremist crime, such as religious or political terrorism. Tim will be responsible for writing a publication to be used by policy-makers, police forces and community groups around the world.
“The police are ideally placed to bond communities and bring people together, provided they conduct themselves correctly”, said Tim. “This publication will draw on experiences and best-practice examples from numerous countries in order to create solid guidelines for deploying community policing effectively.”
OSCE is the largest security body in the world, with 56 member states including the US, Russia and the UK. The guidebook will be published in English and Russian and will be available online and in hard copy.
With a distinguished and well-rounded career in policing and academia, Dr Parsons is an excellent choice to lead this important project. A retired Chief Inspector, Tim served in the City of London Police for 30 years, working across a range of departments from firearms duties to public relations. His involvement with OSCE goes back to his policing days when he consulted for the organisation on opposing hate crime.
His main research area is around Islam and Islamophobia, and the securitization of Muslim society in Europe. He has a wider research interest in religion, faith communities and the treatment of religion and faith in criminal justice policy.
Tim has an Ed.D from King’s College London and an M.Ed from the University of Hull. He joined London Met in 2010 to take up his academic post and teaches the policing component of the BA Criminology course, as well as on the Professional Doctorate in Policing, Security and Community Safety. “London Met is a great place to work”, he added. “I enjoy it very much.”
Tim and his colleagues in the Criminology department are launching a new undergraduate degree course this September, BSc Criminology and Community Policing.
Find out more about the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities.
For more information on this news story, contact l.foddy@londonmet.ac.uk