Matt Ashby
@mattashby.com
I help people use data to reduce crime. Associate Professor, Crime Science, UCL. Former police officer.
🌐: mattashby.com
🌐: mattashby.com
Police officers (🇺🇸) did substantially fewer traffic stops as the end of their shifts approached. But the likelihood of them finding an offence went up at the same time, suggesting they became more picky about which cars to stop.
Tough Shift: The Temporal Dynamics of Police Discretion
A central concern in studying state agents is how incentives and constraints shape effort. In shift work, fatigue typically reduces productivity as shifts progress. In policing, however, accounts…
doi.org
November 25, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Police officers (🇺🇸) did substantially fewer traffic stops as the end of their shifts approached. But the likelihood of them finding an offence went up at the same time, suggesting they became more picky about which cars to stop.
I think London Underground might be trying to tell us something about the state of the world:
November 24, 2025 at 8:18 PM
I think London Underground might be trying to tell us something about the state of the world:
One in ten girls *aged 12* in a sample of schools (🏴) had experienced sexual harassment at school in the past year, along with 20% of those who identified as gay or lesbian and 22% of those who identified as non-binary.
Sexual Harassment in Early Adolescence: Findings From a Cross-Sectional Survey in Secondary Schools in England - G.J. Melendez-Torres, Rebecca Meiksin, Ruth Ponsford, Nerissa Tilouche, Neisha Sundaram, Joanna Sturgess, Elizabeth Allen, Maria Lohan, Honor Young, Alison Hadley, Rona Campbell, Chris Bonell, 2025
There is little research on sexual harassment among younger adolescents or on how rates vary by gender and other student/school characteristics. Drawing on data...
doi.org
November 24, 2025 at 3:02 PM
One in ten girls *aged 12* in a sample of schools (🏴) had experienced sexual harassment at school in the past year, along with 20% of those who identified as gay or lesbian and 22% of those who identified as non-binary.
This paper identifies different types of residential burglar (🏴), eg specialists who target high-value items, cautious offenders who favour weekend nights and opportunists who burgle on weekday afternoons. Maybe useful for identifying series.
Categorising the Offender Profiles of Foraging Domestic Burglars - Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology
This study examines the offence behaviours, spatial patterns, and target preferences of foraging burglars, an emerging offender typology inspired by Optimal Foraging Theory (OFT). Foraging burglars…
doi.org
November 21, 2025 at 3:03 PM
This paper identifies different types of residential burglar (🏴), eg specialists who target high-value items, cautious offenders who favour weekend nights and opportunists who burgle on weekday afternoons. Maybe useful for identifying series.
Only 16% of people (🏴🏴) said they could name their police and crime commissioner (vs. 68% saying they could name their mayor).
This and other findings from a 2020 (!) Home Office report released now to support abolishing PCCs.
This and other findings from a 2020 (!) Home Office report released now to support abolishing PCCs.
Police and crime commissioner review public survey 2020
This report presents findings of a survey of the public covering attitudes to police and crime commissioners and local police governance.
www.gov.uk
November 20, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Only 16% of people (🏴🏴) said they could name their police and crime commissioner (vs. 68% saying they could name their mayor).
This and other findings from a 2020 (!) Home Office report released now to support abolishing PCCs.
This and other findings from a 2020 (!) Home Office report released now to support abolishing PCCs.
A curfew that required businesses selling tobacco in an area with high on-street drug use to close by midnight led to a substantial drop in drug-related crime with no displacement to nearby areas (🇺🇸).
No sales after midnight: evaluating the impact of a business curfew on drug-related crime in San Francisco’s tenderloin - Security Journal
Business curfews are emerging as regulatory policy instruments to reduce crime in high-risk areas, yet rigorous evaluations remain limited. This study examines San Francisco’s Tenderloin Retail Hours…
doi.org
November 19, 2025 at 3:04 PM
A curfew that required businesses selling tobacco in an area with high on-street drug use to close by midnight led to a substantial drop in drug-related crime with no displacement to nearby areas (🇺🇸).
I’m being especially nerdy this evening at Mapping London, an event organised by the great @stanfordstravel.bsky.social travel and map bookshop. 🗺️ 🤓
November 18, 2025 at 7:49 PM
I’m being especially nerdy this evening at Mapping London, an event organised by the great @stanfordstravel.bsky.social travel and map bookshop. 🗺️ 🤓
Reposted by Matt Ashby
November 18, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Reposted by Matt Ashby
A review of experimental evaluations of victim counselling as a way to prevent domestic violence repeat victimisation found that it either didn’t reduce subsequent victimisation or any effect only lasted for a short while.
Counseling Interventions to Reduce Domestic Violence Against Women: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials - Journal of Family Violence
Purpose Domestic violence (DV) or intimate partner violence (IPV) is a prominent global problem endangering the lives of women. This systematic review of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) explored…
doi.org
November 18, 2025 at 3:01 PM
A review of experimental evaluations of victim counselling as a way to prevent domestic violence repeat victimisation found that it either didn’t reduce subsequent victimisation or any effect only lasted for a short while.
When asked what are the biggest issues facing them in their daily lives, only 5% of Britons mention crime or public safety.
Partly this is because crime is highly concentrated so disproportionately affects a few people. But it probably also illustrates why big police funding increases are unlikely.
Partly this is because crime is highly concentrated so disproportionately affects a few people. But it probably also illustrates why big police funding increases are unlikely.
We then stuck with open-ends but changed the question a little.
Most pollsters ask about issues facing the country.
When we ask about people's day-to-day lives, the change is starkly different.
Immigration is only mentioned in a tenth of results. A majority mentioned the Cost of Living.
Most pollsters ask about issues facing the country.
When we ask about people's day-to-day lives, the change is starkly different.
Immigration is only mentioned in a tenth of results. A majority mentioned the Cost of Living.
November 17, 2025 at 12:16 PM
When asked what are the biggest issues facing them in their daily lives, only 5% of Britons mention crime or public safety.
Partly this is because crime is highly concentrated so disproportionately affects a few people. But it probably also illustrates why big police funding increases are unlikely.
Partly this is because crime is highly concentrated so disproportionately affects a few people. But it probably also illustrates why big police funding increases are unlikely.
Reposted by Matt Ashby
What is the most profitable industry in the world, this side of the law? Not oil, not IT, not pharma.
It's *scientific publishing*.
We call this the Drain of Scientific Publishing.
Paper: arxiv.org/abs/2511.04820
Background: doi.org/10.1162/qss_...
Thread @markhanson.fediscience.org.ap.brid.gy 👇
It's *scientific publishing*.
We call this the Drain of Scientific Publishing.
Paper: arxiv.org/abs/2511.04820
Background: doi.org/10.1162/qss_...
Thread @markhanson.fediscience.org.ap.brid.gy 👇
November 12, 2025 at 10:31 AM
What is the most profitable industry in the world, this side of the law? Not oil, not IT, not pharma.
It's *scientific publishing*.
We call this the Drain of Scientific Publishing.
Paper: arxiv.org/abs/2511.04820
Background: doi.org/10.1162/qss_...
Thread @markhanson.fediscience.org.ap.brid.gy 👇
It's *scientific publishing*.
We call this the Drain of Scientific Publishing.
Paper: arxiv.org/abs/2511.04820
Background: doi.org/10.1162/qss_...
Thread @markhanson.fediscience.org.ap.brid.gy 👇
Useful example if you work on crime harms: the costs of the recent Jaguar Land Rover cyber attack were big enough to impact national GDP figures.
Extraordinary day and historic for the wrong reasons - a cyber attack featured in the GDP figures
November 13, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Useful example if you work on crime harms: the costs of the recent Jaguar Land Rover cyber attack were big enough to impact national GDP figures.
The government seemingly still hopes to publish the delayed police reform white paper at some point in the next five weeks (Parliament goes into recess for Christmas on 18 December).
The answer is likely to be in the delayed Police Reform White Paper - minister Sarah Jones said would come out "this year" but gave no specific timing
For recent criticism of the structure, see the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary annual report hmicfrs.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/publication-...
For recent criticism of the structure, see the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary annual report hmicfrs.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/publication-...
November 13, 2025 at 12:42 PM
The government seemingly still hopes to publish the delayed police reform white paper at some point in the next five weeks (Parliament goes into recess for Christmas on 18 December).
Reposted by Matt Ashby
The government has announced that Police and Crime Commissioners will be scrapped in 2028 - which would have been the next elections - saying it will "cut the cost of unnecessary bureaucracy"
Many senior police officers have long wanted them gone, as seen here www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
Many senior police officers have long wanted them gone, as seen here www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
Elected police and crime commissioners can be 'absolutely bleeding hopeless', report told
Officers tell researchers Coalition government changes left 'bonkers' structure of British policing
www.independent.co.uk
November 13, 2025 at 12:02 PM
The government has announced that Police and Crime Commissioners will be scrapped in 2028 - which would have been the next elections - saying it will "cut the cost of unnecessary bureaucracy"
Many senior police officers have long wanted them gone, as seen here www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
Many senior police officers have long wanted them gone, as seen here www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
Reposted by Matt Ashby
If you want to engage with policing policy and practice, you need to understand that policing is all about managing the trade offs between different risks, and doing so with finite resources where opportunity cost considerations abound.
November 10, 2025 at 8:23 PM
If you want to engage with policing policy and practice, you need to understand that policing is all about managing the trade offs between different risks, and doing so with finite resources where opportunity cost considerations abound.
Reposted by Matt Ashby
Record low murder rate in England and Wales
November 10, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Record low murder rate in England and Wales
Reposted by Matt Ashby
Do you think about time in criminology? ⏰ Do you think about how we can better specify temporal processes and effects in theory and research? Consider contributing to a new special collection! 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
Feel free to send a message if you have any questions!
Feel free to send a message if you have any questions!
📣 Call for papers - special collection!
🕰️Rethinking time in developmental criminology
The concept of time is integral to developmental and life course criminology. By definition, developmental… | J...
📣 Call for papers - special collection!
🕰️Rethinking time in developmental criminology
The concept of time is integral to developmental and life course criminology. By definition, developmental and ...
www.linkedin.com
November 10, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Do you think about time in criminology? ⏰ Do you think about how we can better specify temporal processes and effects in theory and research? Consider contributing to a new special collection! 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
Feel free to send a message if you have any questions!
Feel free to send a message if you have any questions!
Reposted by Matt Ashby
The American Society of Criminology conference is next week and this is your annual reminder that most of the presentations will likely be 💩
Here are some ways to be less 💩
www.jerryratcliffe.net/post/i-want-...
Here are some ways to be less 💩
www.jerryratcliffe.net/post/i-want-...
I want a refund for your conference presentation
There is a problem with academic criminal justice and criminology, and it’s getting worse.I’ve attended several conferences and meetings in the last three months. And the standard of presentation is d...
www.jerryratcliffe.net
November 8, 2025 at 12:36 PM
The American Society of Criminology conference is next week and this is your annual reminder that most of the presentations will likely be 💩
Here are some ways to be less 💩
www.jerryratcliffe.net/post/i-want-...
Here are some ways to be less 💩
www.jerryratcliffe.net/post/i-want-...
Reposted by Matt Ashby
This is a slide I use quite a lot when doing POP training for police. Even when an agency or individual wants to follow SARA properly, there are so many institutional pressures on them to skip steps.
November 5, 2025 at 10:58 PM
This is a slide I use quite a lot when doing POP training for police. Even when an agency or individual wants to follow SARA properly, there are so many institutional pressures on them to skip steps.
Reposted by Matt Ashby
Are you a PhD student working on a criminological topic (broadly construed)? If so, then please consider applying to the LSE's inaugural criminology PhD Symposium:
www.lse.ac.uk/social-polic...
www.lse.ac.uk/social-polic...
Mannheim Centre for Criminology | PhD Symposium 2026
The LSE’s Mannheim Centre for Criminology is pleased to announce the inaugural PhD Symposium taking place 18-19 May 2026
www.lse.ac.uk
November 3, 2025 at 9:38 AM
Are you a PhD student working on a criminological topic (broadly construed)? If so, then please consider applying to the LSE's inaugural criminology PhD Symposium:
www.lse.ac.uk/social-polic...
www.lse.ac.uk/social-polic...
Reposted by Matt Ashby
The fact that one of the two men arrested has now been cleared and released is a pretty huge "STOP" sign to everyone who's spent the last 24 hours rushing to interpret the attack. Facts, like trains, are sometimes slower to arrive than we'd like. But you just have to wait for them.
Extract from more recent Goodwin post. He really should never be allowed on the BBC - or any other reputable broadcaster - again.
November 2, 2025 at 6:14 PM
The fact that one of the two men arrested has now been cleared and released is a pretty huge "STOP" sign to everyone who's spent the last 24 hours rushing to interpret the attack. Facts, like trains, are sometimes slower to arrive than we'd like. But you just have to wait for them.
Reposted by Matt Ashby
‘The CBI and Universities UK… said universities already subsidised research by £5.4 billion a year, largely through international student income. A levy would "accelerate contraction" in research and innovation, they warned.’
www.thetimes.com/article/95f2...
www.thetimes.com/article/95f2...
Tax on international students would be crippling, universities say
The Confederation of British Industry and Universities UK warn plans for a 6% levy will also affect the wider economy
www.thetimes.com
October 31, 2025 at 6:15 AM
‘The CBI and Universities UK… said universities already subsidised research by £5.4 billion a year, largely through international student income. A levy would "accelerate contraction" in research and innovation, they warned.’
www.thetimes.com/article/95f2...
www.thetimes.com/article/95f2...
Reposted by Matt Ashby
Take it from me, a real life police officer, NO ONE is giving out free drugs or fentanyl on Halloween
That's not a thing.
As a safety precaution, you should still check your kids candy.
Not because of drugs but for gross candies like circus peanuts, necco wafers, and licorice.
That's not a thing.
As a safety precaution, you should still check your kids candy.
Not because of drugs but for gross candies like circus peanuts, necco wafers, and licorice.
October 31, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Take it from me, a real life police officer, NO ONE is giving out free drugs or fentanyl on Halloween
That's not a thing.
As a safety precaution, you should still check your kids candy.
Not because of drugs but for gross candies like circus peanuts, necco wafers, and licorice.
That's not a thing.
As a safety precaution, you should still check your kids candy.
Not because of drugs but for gross candies like circus peanuts, necco wafers, and licorice.
Car drivers (🇦🇺) say they feel fixed speed cameras are more effective at deterring speeding, but that speed enforcement by officers on patrol has higher legitimacy. Note, though, the way participants were recruited may have biased the results.
Browse all journals
Browse all journals
www.tandfonline.com
October 28, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Car drivers (🇦🇺) say they feel fixed speed cameras are more effective at deterring speeding, but that speed enforcement by officers on patrol has higher legitimacy. Note, though, the way participants were recruited may have biased the results.