Jonathan Allen
About
My research project
Predictive analytics and the social organisation of police workMy research investigates the development, integration and use of predictive analytics in police work (also known as predictive policing). I'm interested in the responsible development of predictive policing programmes, how they are integrated into police practice and the implications for job roles and responsibilities. The research explores decision-making processes related to predictive analytics and how this is managed both within and between occupational roles. Investigations into the use of new technologies in policing are crucial to understand the implications for police forces and for policing the public.
My research is also featured on the College of Policing's research map.
Supervisors
My research investigates the development, integration and use of predictive analytics in police work (also known as predictive policing). I'm interested in the responsible development of predictive policing programmes, how they are integrated into police practice and the implications for job roles and responsibilities. The research explores decision-making processes related to predictive analytics and how this is managed both within and between occupational roles. Investigations into the use of new technologies in policing are crucial to understand the implications for police forces and for policing the public.
My research is also featured on the College of Policing's research map.
University roles and responsibilities
- Associate Tutor (2025)
- Graduate Teaching Assistant (2022-2025)
- Sociology PGR Representative (2023-2025)
My qualifications
Teaching
I am currently an Associate Tutor in the Department of Sociology teaching Policing and the Police (SOC2096 and SOCM068)
I have previously taught on a number of modules as a Graduate Teaching Assistant:
- Explaining and Responding to Crime and Deviance (2024/25)
- Psychology of Criminal Behaviour (2024/25)
- Crime and Society (2023/24)
- Responding to Crime and Deviance (2022/23)
- Introduction to Criminal Justice Systems (2022/23)
- Policing and the Police (2021/22)
Publications
Body-worn cameras (BWCs) are widely used across the public and private sectors, including in law enforcement, education, and transport. An extensive body of work exists on the use of BWCs by the public police and their impacts on officers and citizens' behaviours. In contrast, literature on the use of BWCs use in private security is very limited. Even more so is research on the use of BWCs by private security on university campuses. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with campus security officers and senior management in a university in the United Kingdom (UK), this paper investigates how and why BWCs were initially introduced, how they are used and with what outcomes. We find that adoption of the cameras was to strengthen the professionalism and credibility of officers and their ability to collect evidence. In practice, camera use is infrequent and concentrated on specific days and times of the week. BWC footage is prominently used in the investigation of alleged violations of university regulations, and it has become a tool to hold students accountable for their behaviour in a way that was not possible before the adoption of the cameras. The study offers an important contribution to our understanding of the operation and outcomes of private security on university campuses and, more specifically, the role of BWCs in these.
The operation of policing services on university campuses in the United Kingdom is under-researched. Drawing on interviews with university managers, security personnel and residential wardens, this article adds to the limited literature on policing in educational institutions by providing a case study of the organisation and implementation of campus policing at a university in the United Kingdom. We find that the work of the security teams includes routine housekeeping and caretaking tasks across campus, maintaining adherence to university rules and regulations, enhancing student well-being and welfare and preventing and responding to crimes. Further research is needed to understand how university spaces are managed and policed across the United Kingdom and the role of private security in dealing with welfare and mental health issues on campus.