The challenges of policing in the 21st century: How might reform help?

19th February 2026Prof Kate Bowers, Director, Jill Dando Institute of Security & Crime Science

From complex crimes and tight finances to emerging technology and the public expectations, policing in the UK is facing a wide range of often complex challenges; in an article drawing on her recent Atkins Lecture, Professor Kate Bowers, Director of UCL’s Jill Dando Institute of Security and Crime Science, sets out some of those key challenges and, in the wake of the recently published white paper on police reform, suggests some potential ideas to address them.

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The challenges of policing in the 21st century: How might reform help?

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