The Police Foundation, together with the Scottish Institute for Policing Research (SIPR) and the Universities’ Police Science Institute at Cardiff University hosted a series of public policy seminars, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) entitled ‘What is policing for?’

The seminars considered such questions as how responsive should policing be to community priorities and concerns? Can and should the police solve more crime? What role can policing play in securing economic and social well-being?

The aim of the seminars was to enable dialogue between key figures in the police service and academia to encourage and inform change in policy and practice.ξ

A publication based on the presentations by speakers and other contributors at these seminars entitled was published in 2009 by the ESRC.