West Mercia Police is a largely rural police force in the West Midlands region. It is the fourth largest police force in terms of its geography but does not have the sometimes significantly high threat criminality of metropolitan forces.
We are keen to work with academic partners to develop a meaningful and relevant programme of research based around our Areas of Research Interest assessment. The force is ambitious in terms of its development and support of research to inform its practice and processes and exploitation of current and cutting-edge technology.
Placement details
We have two available placements to contribute to our developing knowledge of what works to reduce crime, keep communities safe and deliver an excellent service to the public.
We anticipate that interns will use our extensive data to inform good decision making that can deliver an effective service, make us more productive and reduce bureaucracy. Data includes crime and incident reporting as well as potential access to specialist systems depending on the research area. Any training required to use these systems safely and effectively will be provided. Due to security requirements, a laptop will be provided for use while undertaking this placement.
We offer two specific projects for Interns to choose from:
- Are increases, or decreases, in crime due to changes in reporting by the public or actual increases or decreases in crime and disorder?
- How can the force use autonomous vehicles to assist in mitigating the large distances that are sometimes required to be covered? And how can we ensure the support of the public to use them?
This will be shared across the force to inform practice and, if suitable, be shared across policing knowledge platforms to share that knowledge more widely.
We are also flexible to accommodate research in an area that fits with the doctoral research of the student and make the best of their existing area of speciality, if they have one.
We are seeking interns from multiple disciplines, not just policing courses.
The student will work within our Strategy, Data and Insight department under the force research lead as a manager/dedicated point of contact. SDI manages a number of corporate functions including intelligence and performance analysis, public engagement and the development of business intelligence to inform day-to-day prioritisation. As part of this team, they will join in other team activities and experiences. Part of the placement will be to increase the student’s knowledge of policing more generally, so there will be opportunities to engage with policing more widely such as joining a foot patrol or spending a day shadowing a detective.
We also identify ‘sponsors’ for each research project which is more usually an officer working within a specialist field in the force relevant to the research work.
Skills and experience required for the role
Research skills working with both quantitative and qualitative data.
Some policing knowledge: it is not anticipated that you will have worked with policing already but understand the role of policing and its current challenges.
Digitally literate, specifically in the Microsoft suite eg. Excel is used daily and communication is via outlook and Teams.
Working arrangements and location of the placement
The placements are offered for a duration of 3 months.
Interns will be required to attend police headquarters to undertake the training required to access force systems, to collect a laptop and identification card. Further, there is mandatory training that can be completed online.
We have a flexible, hybrid working environment so are happy to work around personal circumstances to secure a productive working relationship.
We are committed to creating an inclusive environment by embedding equality, diversity and inclusion best practice, ensuring tailored support is provided throughout the placement. More information can be found on our website: The Equality Act 2010 | West Mercia Police.
How to apply
Applications need to be submitted before September 30th, 2025.
We require a CV and cover letter alongside the ESRC placement and funding permissions form signed by the supervisor and showing funding has been secured for the placement. The cover letter should include motivations for working with us at West Mercia Police and the areas of knowledge and expertise of the applicant so that we can assess the benefit of this to the force.
Applications will be shortlisted by the force lead for Research. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a brief interview, which may be held either in person or virtually.
A successful applicant will then be required to be vetted by the force to ensure they can access force data.
Vetting is required for access to any force data. Prior to any placement, it will be necessary for the applicant to be security vetted. This will involve the sharing of personal information with our vetting department and will likely take a couple of months to complete.
Further information: Please contact the force research lead Kate Pearce on Kathryn.pearce@westmercia.police.uk for an initial call to answer any questions and then to submit applications.