dr. András Túrós
Elnök, Országos Polgárőr Szövetség
BIO:
Szalaszenden, 1944. szeptember 27-én született. Első diplomáját az Egyesített Tiszti Főiskola BM tagozatán 1966-ban szerezte, majd a Szegedi Tanárképző Főiskolán is diplomázott. Rendőri pályafutását a Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén Megyei Rendőr-főkapitányságon kezdte. A Szerencsi Járási Rendőrkapitányság vezetője 1972-77 között volt, majd az Ózdi Városi-Járási Rendőrkapitányság élére nevezték ki. Az Eötvös Lóránd Tudományegyetem Állam- és Jogtudományi Karán 1978-ban doktorált. Az ózdi kapitányságról lett 1982-ben a Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén Megyei Rendőr-főkapitányság vezetője. Ezt a beosztást 1989-ig töltötte be, amikor belügyminiszter-helyettesi, egyben országos főkapitányi beosztást kapott. Az Országos Rendőr-főkapitányság vezetőjének közbiztonsági helyettese 1991-ben lett, később az ORFK közbiztonsági főigazgatója volt 1996-ban történt nyugállományba helyezéséig. Altábornaggyá a köztársasági elnök 2005-ben nevezte ki.
Nyugállományba vonulása után a Szerencsejáték Zrt. ügyvezető igazgatója, majd a Magyar Posta, később a Magyar Villamos Művek vagyonbiztonságért felelős igazgatója volt. A MÁV Rt. biztonsági igazgatójaként 2004-től 2014-ig dolgozott.
Az Országos Polgárőr Szövetség elnökévé 1997-ben választotta meg a közgyűlés, azóta vezeti az önkéntes bűnmegelőzők országos szervezetét. Irányítása alatt lett a Polgárőrség az ország legnagyobb és legelismertebb, kiemelten közhasznú civil szervezete, amely a társadalmi elismertség mellett az állam törvénybe foglalt elismerését is kiérdemelte. Méltán vált az OPSZ Hungarikummá.
Elnök, Országos Polgárőr Szövetség
Dr. László Christián
Rendőrségi dandártábornok, egyetemi tanár, tanszékvezető Közbiztonsági Kar, Nemzeti Közszolgálati Egyetem Magánbiztonsági és Önkormányzati Rendészeti Tanszék
Rendőrségi dandártábornok, egyetemi tanár, tanszékvezető Közbiztonsági Kar, Nemzeti Közszolgálati Egyetem Magánbiztonsági és Önkormányzati Rendészeti Tanszék
Dr. Sándor Zsolt Lippai PhD
Nemzeti Közszolgálati Egyetem Rendészettudományi Kar (NKE RTK) egyetemi adjunktusa; rendőrtiszt, a Nemzeti Közszolgálati Egyetem Polgárőrségi Egyesületének igazgatósági tagja; az Országos Polgárőr Szövetség Tudományos Tanácsának tagja
Nemzeti Közszolgálati Egyetem Rendészettudományi Kar (NKE RTK) egyetemi adjunktusa; rendőrtiszt, a Nemzeti Közszolgálati Egyetem Polgárőrségi Egyesületének igazgatósági tagja; az Országos Polgárőr Szövetség Tudományos Tanácsának tagja
Dr. Gábor Tóth
nyugállományú rendőrségi vezérőrnagy; az Országos Polgárőr Szövetség igazgatási alelnöke; a Országos Polgárőr Szövetség tudományos tanácsának
szervezési elnökhelyetese
nyugállományú rendőrségi vezérőrnagy; az Országos Polgárőr Szövetség igazgatási alelnöke; a Országos Polgárőr Szövetség tudományos tanácsának
szervezési elnökhelyetese
Dr. Péter Kristóf Bakai PhD
A Budapesti Önkéntes Mentőszövetség elnöke
A Budapesti Önkéntes Mentőszövetség elnöke
Dr. Sándor Töreki
rendőr vezérőrnagy, bűnügyi országos rendőrfőkapitány-helyettes
rendőr vezérőrnagy, bűnügyi országos rendőrfőkapitány-helyettes
Pál Kardos
előadó a Közszolgálati Egyetem Rendészeti Karán;
a Budapesti Polgárőr Szövetség elnöke;
az Országos Polgárőr Szövetség oktatási elnökhelyetese;
az Országos Polgárőr Szövetség tudományos Tanácsának tagja;
a Budapesti Mentőszervezet alelnöke
BIO:
Kardos Pál (Budapest, 1969. június 2.) polgárőr, az Országos Polgárőr Szövetség katasztrófavédelmi alelnöke, a Budapesti és Agglomerációs Polgárőr Szervezetek Szövetségének elnöke, a Zuglói Polgárőr és Önkéntes Tűzoltó Egyesület elnöke, a Nemzetközi Polgárőr Szövetség (IAPA) elnöke, a Budapesti Tűzoltó Szövetség alelnöke.
Pályája
A rendszerváltás időszakában a közbiztonság javításának érdekében lokálpatrióta alapokra helyezve indította útjára azt a bűnmegelőzési csoportot, mely későbbiekben a főváros egyik kerületének polgárőr bázisaként funkcionált. A megalakuló Polgárőrség helyi, fővárosi, majd országos létrehozásában kiemelkedő szerepet vállalt. A társadalmi bűnmegelőzés fejlesztése, integrálása a rendészet rendszerébe a tevékenységének egyik fő célja. A leginkább fontosnak az együttműködést, a kohéziót tartja, mely hatékonnyá teszi a civil bűnmegelőzés területén munkálkodó szervezetek, emberek eredményességét. A leghatékonyabb eszköznek a prevenciót tartja a bűnmegelőzés, balesetmegelőzés, drogprevenció, környezetvédelem, katasztrófavédelem területén. A hazai és nemzetközi tapasztalatok felhasználásával, tematikák kidolgozásával, oktatással, továbbképzésekkel a polgárőrök munkájának, felkészültségének színvonalát egységesen magas szintre emelése a közép- és hosszútávú stratégiájának pillére.
Végzettsége
Felsőfokú biztonságszervező, Rendészeti igazgatásszervező, Rendőrtiszti Főiskola, Nemzeti Közszolgálati Egyetem
Kitüntetések, elismerések
előadó a Közszolgálati Egyetem Rendészeti Karán; a Budapesti Polgárőr Szövetség elnöke; az Országos Polgárőr Szövetség oktatási elnökhelyetese; az Országos Polgárőr Szövetség tudományos Tanácsának tagja; a Budapesti Mentőszervezet alelnöke
Attila Steiner
Budapesti Polgárőrség gazdasági igazgató, Közösségi rendőrtiszt és PhD-kutató, Ludovika Egyetem
BIO:
Attila 33 éve közösségi rendőrtiszt. Számos vezetői pozíciót töltött be a Budapesti Közösségi Rendőrségi Szövetségben és az Országos Közösségi Rendőrségi Szövetségben.
Közgazdasági diplomát szerzett jogi specializációval, majd a Ludovika Egyetemen szerzett mesterfokozatot. Elsősorban gazdasági és adminisztratív feladatokra koncentrál, ezeken a területeken egyedi megközelítését alkalmazva. Számtalan bűnmegelőzési projektet dolgozott ki és valósított meg. Jelenleg a bűnmegelőzés különböző aspektusairól folytat doktori kutatást. Fő kutatási területe a CCTV-kamerák hatásának vizsgálata a nyilvános terekben elkövetett bűncselekményekre, valamint az önkéntes bűnmegelőzési tevékenységek kiterjesztésének lehetőségei. 2011-ben és 2017-ben ő szervezte a Budapesti Nemzetközi Közösségi Rendőrségi Konferenciát, amelyen kilenc országból érkeztek előadók. A Ludovika Egyetemen megrendezett szimpózium helyszíni szervezésének egyik főszervezője.
Budapesti Polgárőr Szövetség gazdasági ügyviteli alelnök, Közösségi rendőrtiszt és PhD-kutató, NKE
Dr. László Frigyer
rendőri alezredes adjunktus, Nemzeti Közszolgálati Egyetem Rendészettudományi Kar (NKE RTK) bűnüldözési szak
rendőri alezredes adjunktus, Nemzeti Közszolgálati Egyetem Rendészettudományi Kar (NKE RTK) bűnüldözési szak
BIO:
Police Major, Owner of the volunteer engagement service at the Police and Border Guard Board in Estonia. Leena has been working as a police officer 20 years. She has held various positions and has been involved in the nationwide coordination and development of the police volunteer system since 2019.
Coordinator/Service Lead for the Assistant Police in Estonia
BIO:
Police Major, Owner of the volunteer engagement service at the Police and Border Guard Board in Estonia. Leena has been working as a police officer 20 years. She has held various positions and has been involved in the nationwide coordination and development of the police volunteer system since 2019.
National Policy Lead for volunteer police, the Netherlands
BIO:
In 2014 Laura started as a police volunteer for the generic police task. She studied Safety and Security management with a minor in International Conflict Studies. Afterwards she studied policing and worked as an Operational Specialist in organized crime in a Frontline team. Since the beginning of 2023 she is coordinator of the Police volunteers in the Regional Unit Oost-Brabant, in the south of The Netherlands. Within that Regional Unit she is also coordinator of the team that provides collegial care after major incidents.
Specialist volunteering, the Netherlands
BIO:
Dr. Ross Wolf serves as Professor, Associate Provost for UCF Downtown, and Interim Dean of the College of Community Innovation and Education (CCIE) at the University of Central Florida. As CCIE’s interim chief academic, administrative and fiscal officer, he oversees nine academic units and 11 centers and institutes on the university’s main campus and the UCF Downtown campus, serving over 8,000 students. He has published over 80 peer-reviewed articles, professional articles, books, and book chapters on campus law enforcement, police administration and management, volunteer policing, police use of force, tourism policing, and international policing. Dr. Wolf recently retired from law enforcement after 34 years of service as both a full-time and volunteer deputy sheriff, most recently having served as the Reserve Chief Deputy for the Orange County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office.
University of Central Florida, VLEOA Past President, Orange County, Florida, Reserves
BIO:
Mr. Marvin Haiman is an Assistant Professor and the Executive Director of Public Safety and Justice at the University of Virginia. He is also a Visiting Fellow and Research Scholar with Rutger’s University. Haiman served as the Chief of Staff for the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, D.C. between 2021 and 2024. In this capacity, Haiman oversaw daily operations of the Executive Office of the Chief of Police and was responsible for broad agency management and implementing strategic agency objectives.
Prior to being named Executive Director, Haiman served in a variety of capacities between 2015-2017, including developing the agency’s Office of Volunteer Coordination, serving as Chief of Staff for the Technical Services Division tasked with a broad range of IT operations, and Chief of Staff for the Strategic Services Bureau supporting and leading the administration of police recruitment, training, policy and volunteer service matters for the Department.
Prior to returning to the Metropolitan Police Department, Haiman served as Director for the Homeland Security Advisory Council for the United States Department of Homeland Security, where he established several key task forces for the Secretary (e.g., Foreign Fighters, Integrity & Use of Force). Prior to his Federal service, Haiman led the Recruiting Division for the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, D.C., among various other positions. Haiman was responsible for restructuring the sworn hiring process, decreasing the amount of time it took to process candidates while increasing the quality of those officers hired.
Haiman graduated from The Johns Hopkins University with a master’s degree in management through the Police Executive Leadership Program. He earned his undergraduate degree in mathematics from the University of Iowa. Haiman is also a graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security’s Executive Leadership Program. He received recognition by the International Association of Chiefs of Police in 2020 as a 40 under 40 recipient and the prestigious Gary P. Hayes Award by the Police Executive Research Forum. Haiman graduated from the Metropolitan Police Academy and continues his police service as a reserve police officer with the Metropolitan Police Department. Haiman resides with his family in Washington, D.C.
University of Virginia, President, VLEOA, Met Police Washington DC
BIO:
James F. Albrecht started his law enforcement career as an Auxiliary (volunteer) Police Officer in the New York City Police Department, where he served three years in the 112th Precinct. Jimmy concluded his 20-year career in the NYPD, retiring as the Commanding Officer of NYPD Transit Bureau District 20, responsible for the prevention of crime and terrorism in the subway and rapid transit system in the borough of Queens, New York City. Captain Albrecht was a first responder and incident command staff manager at the 11. September 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Jimmy concluded his policing career while serving in the European Union Rule of Law Mission (EULEX) in Kosovo (former Yugoslavia) as the Police Chief of the EULEX Police Executive Department, in charge of criminal investigations and tasked with coordinating international law enforcement cooperation and intelligence analysis from 2008 through 2010. Jimmy is presently a Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Homeland Security at Pace University in New York. He has published numerous books and articles dealing with law enforcement, community policing, legal history, corruption control, crime reduction strategies, officer-involved shootings, police officer fitness and welfare, police stress, police suicide prevention, justice-related gender issues, criminology, traffic safety and enforcement, transportation and border security, rule of law reform, and international terrorism/counter-terrorism.
Department of Criminal Justice and Homeland Security at Pace University in New York
BIO:
Christiaan Bezuidenhout holds the following degrees: BA (Criminology), BA Honours (Criminology), MA (Criminology), DPhil (Criminology), and an MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Oxford. He is attached to the Department of Social Work and Criminology, University of Pretoria, where he teaches psychocriminology, criminal justice and contemporary criminology at undergraduate and postgraduate level as a full professor. Psychocriminology, criminal justice (policing) and youth misbehaviour are some of his research foci. He has completed a cross-cultural study with an American colleague, focussing on the legal and policing dilemmas of trafficking in humans and he holds a research rating from the National Research Foundation. He recently completed a research project (2021 – 2022) at East Carolina University (ECU) in the United States of America (USA) as part of his Fulbright Research Scholarship regarding the role of Females in Law Enforcement (LE).
Pretoria University (volunteer police in South Africa)
BIO:
Dr Leo S.F. Lin is a Senior Lecturer in Security Studies at the Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security (AGSPS), Charles Sturt University, Australia. Dr Lin brings over 20 years of practitioner and academic experience to the critical intersection of transnational crime, policing, and emerging technologies. His recent work focuses on comparative volunteer policing and building societal and national resilience against hybrid threats, bridging the gap between academic rigour and operational reality.
Charles Sturt University, Australia (Taiwanese volunteer police)
BIO:
Constable Ding Salmon started her career with Peel Regional Police in 2014 serving the community in various capacities such as Uniform Patrol, Homicide, Criminal Investigations Bureau, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Unit. She currently works in the Auxiliary Bureau looking after the recruitment, training, daily operations, and innovative programs to enhance the unit.
Peel Regional Police, Ontario, Canada
BIO:
Julia Funk has spent much of her career managing volunteers in non-profit organizations both in England and Canada. She emigrated to Canada in 2003 and joined York Regional Police (YRP) in 2013. She has been one of the Coordinators of Volunteer Services with the Volunteers Unit within the Community Engagement and Wellbeing Bureau for nearly a decade and currently manages over 250 volunteers. She is responsible for recruiting, onboarding, and managing the volunteers and the programs providing diverse assistance and entertainment to the community with the aim of encouraging positive community engagement.
York Regional Police, Ontario, Canada
BIO:
Phaik Kin Cheah, PhD is an academic at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia and a volunteer police reserve officer in the Royal Malaysia Police. She teaches, conducts research, supervises students, and contributes to academic and professional development. Her work spans communication, educational technology and volunteer policing. Over the years, she has published in academic journals, books, magazines, and other public platforms for wider knowledge sharing. Her contributions have received recognition in research, teaching, and public engagement, including ASEAN-level recognition through the Top Women in Security ASEAN Awards 2025. She is also active in local and international collaborations related to education, policing, and social impact. Through her work, she continues to support student growth, knowledge transfer, and community well-being.
Police Volunteer Reserve, and UTAR University, Malaysia
BIO:
Brendon is a former High School Teacher, Police Officer, Youth Justice Manager and has over the last 20 years worked in several senior management roles within the not-for-profit sector in New Zealand always specialising in youth development. He currently oversees Blue Light NZ as its CEO which is a not-for-profit organisation that works in partnership with the New Zealand Police and other government agencies to deliver youth programs, activities and services across the entire country.
Bluelight, New Zealand
BIO:
Dr Britton is Co-Founder and Director of the Global Foundation for Community Safety Volunteering. He is a UK-based academic researcher and consultant specialising in volunteer and reserve policing. Iain has spent the past decade leading numerous UK-based research projects with police volunteers and has conducted national surveys, data benchmarking, and a national piloting programme across Special Constables, Police Support Volunteers, and Volunteer Police Cadets. Iain increasingly works extensively internationally, collaborating with police volunteer programmes in many countries, including Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Canada, the USA, Bermuda, the Netherlands, Estonia, the Republic of Ireland, France, Hungary, Lithuania, Sweden, Germany, and Dubai Police. Iain is a Churchill Fellow. In May 2024, he convened the international symposium on volunteer policing in Edinburgh, attended by eleven countries, and has played a central role in the organisation of this Symposium at Ludovika University, Budapest.
BIO:
Co-Founder & Director of The Global Foundation for Community Safety Volunteering, (GFCSV). Gfcsv.org. This not-for-profit Foundation works internationally to bring together data, evidence, research, innovation and good practice across police volunteers and community safety volunteering. Assembling the evidence globally to enable individuals and communities to participate and volunteer effectively. The Foundation supports internationally the development of evidence-based policy, practice and innovation, empowering individuals to bring their skills, experience, passions and commitment to making a real difference for the safety of all in their communities.
David served as the Chief Officer of Gloucestershire Special Constabulary for over 12 years and also in a national leadership role in the UK for six years between 2018 and 2024 as Chair of the Association of Special Constabulary Officers (ASCO), a national charity representing & advocating for all Volunteer Police Officers in the UK, David brings not only considerable experience in leading volunteering in policing at a senior, strategic level, but also a strong interest in innovation and in learning internationally across countries.
David is a member of the board of advisors at the International Volunteer Law Enforcement Officer Alliance, (VLEOA).The VLEOA Charity leads in the training and support of reserve and auxiliary law enforcement officers world-wide and has been a national judge for the annual Home Office Lord Ferrers awards, (the national award scheme for police volunteers in the UK) for a number of years.
David was the first Special Constable in the U.K. to qualify as a police Football Intelligence Officer (FIO), football liaison and football “Spotter” trained by Greater Manchester Police and The United Kingdom football policing unit. (UKFPU), also he successfully completed the Police senior leader’s course at Bramshill Police College and holds Chartered managers institute qualifications in police leadership.
David is an honorary member of the Zugloi Polgárőrség, Hungarian Civil guard, and has enjoyed joint patrolling in Budapest, visits to civil guard units across Hungary and reciprocal visits to the UK with new Hungarian friends & colleagues.
David believes that all volunteers engaged in Community safety within and outside policing are the subject matter experts on safer sustainable communities, by taking responsibility for their own and others community safety they embody the principles of policing by consent. Volunteers bringing lived experiences, broader social perspectives and transferable skills from their lives outside of policing to their communities.
Policing is too important to be left to the police alone and David the Foundation continue to advocate for civic engagement in society through direct citizen participation, driving cultural change, adding legitimacy and rebuilding public trust & confidence in policing and communities.
In May 2024, he helped convene the international symposium on volunteer policing in Edinburgh, attended by eleven countries, and has played a central role in the organisation of this Symposium at Ludovika University, Budapest.
BIO:
Matt is Director of the Institute for Public Safety, Crime and Justice and Professor of Interdisciplinary Social Studies at the University of Northampton. Matt has led a significant body of research exploring volunteering in policing, having led several articles in high quality academic journals on Special Constables, Police Support Volunteers and Young Volunteers. Recently, Matt led a 3-year academic review of Police Scotland Youth Volunteers and led a national consultation with Special Constables across England, Wales and Scotland. Previously, Matt led national evaluations of the Volunteer Police Cadets and the Mini-Police in England and Wales. He previously served as an academic advisor to the national Volunteer Police Cadets Programme Board in England and Wales. Matt has delivered keynote presentations at national policing conferences.
Director, IPSCJ, University of Northampton
BIO:
Gavin has led Kent Special Constabulary since 2012, and is also the lead for all police volunteering in the County of Kent, England. This includes Neighbourhood Watch, Community Speedwatch, Volunteer Police Cadets, Community Policing Volunteers, and many others – around 12,000 volunteers in total. A graduate of the Universities of Cambridge, Stockholm, Essex, and St Andrews he has co-written around 40 books for Oxford University Press on police law and procedure. He was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 2014 and spent two months travelling across Canada and the USA looking at police volunteering good practice, and lectured in law at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York, on the Bramshill Exchange Program. Professionally, he is also a graduate of the UK Police Staff College, the US Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP), the UK civil service Top Management Program, and Advanced Defence Strategic Leadership Program at the UK Royal College of Defence Studies. Gavin has held a number of national appointments, including as Deputy Director of Police Reform at the UK Home Office, Senior Legal Advisor to the National Police Chief’s Council, and as Director of Crime & Justice at the think-tank Policy Exchange.
Chief Officer, Kent Police Special Constabulary
BIO:
Denise Lodge has worked in Policing for over twenty years across several departments, landing in the Citizens in Policing portfolio in 2016. Denise’s substantive role is the All Wales Citizens in Policing Coordinator, working to the Wales CiP Chief Officer lead and representing Wales at national forums.
Denise has built relations across sectors and Governments, identifying strategic opportunities that can benefit from collaborative approaches to addressing shared volunteer engagement challenges.
Denise begins her secondment with NPCC Cybercrime as National Deputy Lead for the Specialist Crime Volunteer Network with a clear ambition; to build on and expand existing networks and partnerships across Cyber and Fraud to include specialist volunteering and in doing so, to provide the structure and capacity to successfully advance volunteering in Policing.
Specialist volunteering, UK
BIO:
Inspector Norman Towler is a senior police officer with Police Scotland, currently serving within Corporate Services in the Local Policing Support – Volunteer Coordination Unit. With over 28 years’ experience in Policing, he brings a strong blend of operational command and strategic national leadership.
Inspector Towler has led policing responses in complex and high‑pressure environments, including major incidents and critical public safety events. Alongside this, he has played a key role in shaping national policy and governance, working closely with government and strategic partners to protect police resources and improve service delivery through volunteering in Policing.
As national lead for volunteering, Norman has championed the development, safeguarding and professionalisation of police volunteering, including youth engagement. He is a passionate advocate for ethical, values‑based policing, inclusion, and wellbeing and is a former long‑standing trustee of the Scottish Police Benevolent Fund. His work reflects a deep commitment to supporting those who serve, those who we serve and strengthening the role of volunteers in modern policing.
Police Scotland national volunteer coordination unit
BIO:
James is Special Chief Officer for the Metropolitan Special Constabulary (UK). He has had a volunteer policing career spanning over 32 years in four different forces and currently heads up the largest volunteer police organisation in the UK with excess of a 1,000 officers based across London. His career has seen him specialise in proactive crime and public order policing, becoming the first special constable to become a Police Liaison Team coordinator and Team Leader. He is also a qualified Behavioural Detection Officer. James remains fully operational and undertakes frequent duties working alongside his colleagues. Latterly, James received a Royalty and Specialist Protection commendation for demonstrating excellence in resource management and operational planning of Special Constables at Royal Residences in Scotland.
James has led policing operations involving Special Constables at local, national, and international levels having been the co-led the Special Constabulary deployment for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022 and led the Special Constabulary deployment to the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Professionally, James has had a career in education and learning & development in the public sector and currently works as a Head of Learning & Development at one of the most prestigious hospitals in the NHS.
Chief Officer, Metropolitan Police Special Constabulary, London
BIO:
Rich Watts has been the Citizens in Policing Inspector for Thames Valley Police for 5 years. His portfolio covers over 4,000 volunteers including the Special Constabulary (Volunteer Police Officers), Police Cadets, Police Support Volunteers and Community Speedwatch (Road safety). His particular focus has been on pioneering improved processes for the attraction, retention and recruitment of Special Constables, and he has worked alongside Dr Iain Britton to better understand the challenges in this area and how to meet them. He has developed a bespoke approach for Thames Valley Police which has seen them maintain their establishment of Special Constables over the last 2 years, bucking the National trend for decline in officer numbers. His work has received recognition from the College of Policing, National Police Chief’s Council, Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and the Home Office. Rich and his team were also recently awarded a prestigious High Sheriff’s Shrievalty Award in recognition of “exceptional service and distinguished contribution to the development and advancement of volunteering within Thames Valley Police.
Head of Citizens in Policing, Thames Valley Police
BIO:
Kate has been involved in policing and community safety for 25 years across several different roles, but notably establishing the Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network in England & Wales in 2010. During her time as Chief Executive Officer, Kate alongside the UK Home Office, Police Chiefs and partners to modernise the largest crime prevention voluntary movement, doubling the size of members in 7 years from 3.8 million to 8.9 million households. The development of the digital community engagement platform, Neighbourhood Alert, was pivotal in securing the future of the movement, enabling members of the public to find or create a Watch scheme in their area and communicate with the police to share information directly in a timely, relevant and secure manner. Now as Strategic Director for the UK company that built Neighbourhood Alert, Kate continues to work with police forces to effectively engage with the public, in an effective and efficient way. Kate is a member of the Evidence-based Policing Society in the UK and is undertaking a part-time Master’s Degree in Applied Criminology and Police Management at the University of Cambridge.
Director, VISAV Ltd
BIO:
Dave Grimstead established Locate International, a UK-based charity run exclusively by volunteers, proving that high-impact initiatives can succeed without paid staff. As a former senior police investigator, he founded the organisation to leverage professional expertise from diverse communities and address real-world challenges.
Under his leadership, hundreds of volunteers have contributed expertise in investigations, research, and forensic analysis, establishing a scalable, community-driven model that fundamentally differs from conventional systems by operating entirely without paid staff, relying on interdisciplinary volunteer networks, and prioritising a collective, inclusive approach.
He is currently examining how this distinctive model—which empowers volunteers and leverages interdisciplinary collaboration, rather than relying on institutional hierarchies—can enable communities to develop their own solutions and enhance safety for individuals and the environment, further illustrating the model’s capacity to generate meaningful and enduring change.
Director, Locate International
BIO:
Richard James is the managing director of Intensive Engagement. Richard enjoyed a successful career as a police officer operating at all levels from Constable to Chief Superintendent across three police force areas. In 2016 he founded Intensive Engagement- a professional association of experts and practitioners who focus on building stronger communities in challenging and complex places.
Richard has led significant organisational change programmes and has substantial experience in the design and delivery of evidence-based community engagement strategies. He continues his work with leaders across all sectors in the UK and the EU to develop ever-more effective approaches that enable leaders to work closer with communities to build safer and stronger places.
Richard works with the European Commission as a subject matter expert advising on effective community engagement across numerous EU settings.
Richard is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, has a Master’s degree in Criminology. He regularly speaks at national and international events and writes for national publications. He is a recognised and forthright advocate of effective purposeful and evidence based community engagement across numerous policy areas.
Director, Intensive Engagement Ltd.
BIO:
Dr Melissa Pepper is an Associate Professor in Criminology at the University of Greenwich, UK. Her research interests focus on the role that citizens play in policing, particularly as volunteers, and the broader pluralisation of policing. Her past work includes research around Police Support Volunteers, Community Speedwatch, and Neighbourhood Watch. Melissa is currently Co-Investigator on an EU-funded project focused on building trust between communities and police to address poverty-driven crime across Europe. Prior to joining Greenwich, Melissa worked in government social research in both the Home Office and London Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime.
Greenwich University
BIO:
Dr Martin Wright is an Honorary Professor, Bangor University and Visiting Fellow at the International Centre for Policing and Security, University of South Wales. He was a police officer for 30 years and is the creator of the Retail Radio Link community safety programme and Virtual Police Volunteers Programme. In 1999, he was the only police officer ever to be granted a Doctoral Scholarship by the Association of British Insurers to undertake research into radio links and public reassurance at the University of Leicester. He was a member of the UK’s National e-Crime Strategy Group, was the police advisor to a Foreign and Commonwealth Office funded community policing research programme situated in Kharkiv, Ukraine. After leaving the police he joined the University of Wolverhampton in 2008. At the university he was the Director of the Central Institute for the Study of Public Protection and Head of Department of Uniformed Services with responsibility for the BSc Policing degree, BSc Fire & Rescue degree and BSc Armed Forces degree. He is currently the Series Editor of the Routledge Advances in Police Practice and Knowledge and the Routledge, ‘Service Speaks’ series. He is an Emeritus Board Member of the Oxford Journal of Policing, published by Oxford University Press and is a volunteer with Dyfed Powys Police and Tarian, the South Wales Regional Organised Crime Unit.
‘virtual volunteering’
BIO:
Alan Watson is Community Speedwatch Manager, Kent Police and Special Chief Inspector. In the nine years that Alan Watson has been Community Speedwatch Manager for Kent, it has become very apparent that there are inconsistencies between forces as there is currently no national Speedwatch standard/guidance for police forces and therefore it is down to each force to permit a variation of Community Speedwatch for their own area. Before becoming Community Speedwatch Manager for Kent Police, Alan Watson’s previous role was within the force control room as a dispatcher taking emergency calls from the public. He is also a senior leader in the Special Constabulary at the Rank of Special Chief Inspector, a role he has undertaken for 23 years. In that time Alan has always had a passion for road safety and education for all road users, which is why he volunteers to undertake speed checks and works with local schools to educate young people, empowering them to speak out and challenge parents/family members if they are not driving safely.
He will also have checked his speed on 26 April as he will have completed the London Marathon!
BIO:
Christopher Thomas, York Regional Police, has served as a police officer since 2004, gaining extensive experience across a range of assignments. As a Police Constable, he worked in front-line policing, intelligence, and organized crime, including investigations involving street gangs and outlaw motorcycle groups, as well as property crime investigations.
In 2021, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant, where he worked alongside his supervisor and two additional Sergeants to lead and manage a platoon of approximately 30 officers.
Christopher currently serves as the Sergeant overseeing the Auxiliary and Volunteer Units within the Community Engagement and Wellbeing Bureau.
In addition to his policing role, he serves the community as a Lieutenant in the Canadian Armed Forces, within the Cadets and Canadian Junior Rangers program, where he works closely with youth in the Cadet program.
BIO:
Leon Stewart is a Staff Sergeant with Peel Regional Police with nearly 19 years of policing experience across both frontline and investigative. He currently serves in a leadership capacity within Recruiting, overseeing the hiring process and supporting strategic recruitment initiatives. Leon holds a Master’s in Emergency Management and Public Safety from Wilfrid Laurier University and a degree in Criminal Justice from University of Guelph-Humber.
BIO:
Jon Roberts MSc, BTh (Oxon), is a Director of Dinthe, a safeguarding, partnership engagement and leadership consultancy and Chief Executive Officer of Herefordshire Vennture, a Christian Charity supporting vulnerable people through paid mentors and volunteers. He has thirty years experience as a police officer having worked across several police forces within the wider West Midlands area, many of these as a Senior Investigating Officer. He has worked in the safeguarding arena for the last twenty years and has been part of the Peer Review Teams of the Vulnerability, Knowledge and Practice Programme and Operation Hydrant.
After three years investigating child abuse in Kenya, Jon returned to the UK where he was instrumental in the development of the Multi-agency Safeguarding Hubs across West Mercia and Warwickshire force areas. He spent fifteen months as the temporary Head of Vulnerability and Safeguarding at West Mercia Police and led the police safeguarding response across four Local Authorities and two ICB’s, providing the policing response to the Independent Enquiry into Child Abuse in Telford and the introduction of the Violence Against Women and Girls delivery plan.
Jon is a member of the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) working group for MASH and was responsible for publishing the National NPCC MASH Advice to Police Forces on Information Sharing in Child and Adult Safeguarding and supports a number of academic institutes in their research into safeguarding and partnership working.
BIO:
Steve is one of two Development and Support Officers for the National Volunteer Police Cadets. Joining the National VPC Team in 2022, Steve is responsible for managing the operational delivery of government funded projects, innovative practice across the portfolio, as well as providing ongoing support and guidance to police forces nationally. With a background in research, Steve has undertaken courses at Plymouth University, Bournemouth University, and the London School of Economics, and was an academic researcher with Bournemouth University between 2017 and 2024. Steve first joined Devon and Cornwall Police in 2020, first as a Police Support Volunteer, later taking on various roles within Citizens in Policing, including CSAS Development Officer and Citizens in Policing Support Manager for Cadets and Mini Police.
BIO:
A/PS Luke Andersen began his policing career in 2004 as a response officer before joining the Professional Development Unit in 2009, where he discovered a passion for developing volunteers and special constables. In 2012, he became the North Kent Specials Coordinator, during which the Special Constabulary received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2014. Luke qualified as a police driving instructor in 2015, pioneering a modular and flexible driver training model that reshaped how special constables are trained. In 2018, he joined the Kent Police Driver Training team full time as an advanced driving and pursuit intervention tactics trainer while continuing to volunteer within the Special Constabulary. Returning to Citizens in Policing in 2021, he became a specials trainer and volunteer cadet leader before joining the Kent Volunteer Police Cadet team full time in 2023 as a coordinator PC. Luke has spearheaded improvements to IT systems, expanded outdoor training opportunities, and contributed to the cadet team achieving the King’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2025. He has received multiple awards for his leadership and innovation, pushing police volunteer engagement forward.
BIO:
Sergeant Derrick Davis has been with Peel Regional Police since 2003, bringing 23 years of service to the organization. He began his career in Uniform Patrol at 21 Division before moving into the Neighbourhood Policing Unit, where he worked closely with the community. Over the years, he has also served in Criminal Investigations and Homicide, and later spent time in Recruiting, helping bring new members into the service. He is currently the Officer in Charge of the Auxiliary Bureau, where he oversees the Auxiliary program and supports its role in community engagement.
BIO:
Christopher has been serving as a Chief Inspector with the Brussels CAPITAL Ixelles Police since 2007. For the past seven years, he has held an operational position within the general management department, working in the communications unit. He acts as a community manager and organizes police events (such as the Belgian National Day parade, police village, family day, etc.). He also serves as a press spokesperson, working in close coordination with the public prosecutor’s office.
In 2019, our chief of police Michel Goovaerts wanted to set up a cadet unit—the first in Belgium—with the aim of strengthening the relationship between young people and the police. Christopher volunteered for this project and, since its inception, has taken on the role of head of the cadet unit.
BIO:
Henny is a 54-year-old volunteer specialist with the Netherlands Police. With a background in accountancy and extensive experience in both the accounting sector and a major international bank, becoming a volunteer Financial-economic Investigator was a natural next step. He started nearly five years ago in the Financial-economic Crime Unit as part of the Regional Criminal Investigations Division and now works in the Frontline Team within the local investigations team and the anti-undermining unit. In addition to his operational role, he serves on the board of the National Organization for Police Volunteers, where he advocates for the interests of all police volunteers in the Netherlands.
BIO:
Sam Fores is a strategic lead for volunteering within the Metropolitan Police Service in London, with over 20 years’ experience in the organisation. She leads on work to develop volunteering at scale, supporting over 1,100 deployments and 48,000 volunteer hours across community safety, crime prevention, and training activities across the wider London area.
BIO:
Inspector Elaine Fowler has served with the Peel Regional Police for 24 years, dedicating her career to policing and community safety. She currently oversees Recruitment and Staff Support, a portfolio that includes civilian and sworn hiring, the Cadet Program, experienced police officer recruitment, Outreach initiatives, and the Auxiliary program. Throughout her career, Inspector Fowler has gained extensive experience in investigative, operational, and frontline policing roles. She has played a key role in building and sustaining a strong, diverse workforce by attracting top talent, supporting professional development, and strengthening relationships between the organization and the community it serves.
BIO:
Jack James is a Senior Lecturer in Policing and a Programme Leader at the University of the West of England, Bristol. Jack completed his BSc (Hons) in Criminology at the University of Gloucestershire in 2017, and in 2019, he completed his master’s degree at the University of Bath having studied International Security. Jack has worked as a lecturer full time in higher education since 2019, having previously been a project coordinator within policing to divert young people from the criminal justice system. Jack served as a Special Constable for 10 years with British Transport Police and Wiltshire Police, volunteering almost 7000 hours to front line policing during this time. Jack is currently a doctoral research student at the University of Lancashire, examining Special Constabulary retention as a part of a Professional Doctorate in Criminal Justice.
BIO:
Joost is a specialist volunteer in the Amsterdam Regional Unit. He specializes in digital crime and Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT). Working in a frontline team, he uses this expertise to support other officers in their day-to-day work and bring new insights into investigations. In addition, Joost contributes OSINT expertise to a national team that specializes in tracking down fugitives.
BIO:
Graduate of the doctoral program in political science at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University in Prague (2004). Between 2001 and 2009, he worked in the Department of Security Policy of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic (issues of the fight against terrorism, crisis management etc.). Between 2010 and 2020, he was a researcher and academic at the Police Academy of the Czech Republic in Prague, focusing on the issue of sociogenic security challenges. Since 2019, he has been an associate professor in the field of Security Management and Criminology. He currently works in the Department of Central Analytics of the Office of the Criminal Police and Investigation Service of the Police of the Czech Republic, within CEVRO University and other universities. Author of dozens of professional and popularization outputs, especially on topics of internal security. External cooperation with other workplaces, especially in relation to research on specific aspects of internal security in the Czech Republic.
BIO:
PC Tom McKie joined Kent Police in 2016, beginning his career on a local response team before joining the Kent Volunteer Police Cadet Team as a Cadet Coordinator in 2019. A trained hostage and crisis negotiator with additional qualifications in counselling skills and mental health first aid, Tom serves as the cadet welfare lead, supporting young people across the programme. He has led a range of high‑impact international residential trips, including Snowdonia, Normandy, Cumbria’s Light the Lakes, and the Wandeltocht Airborne March in the Netherlands. Tom has driven major modernisation within the cadet programme, transforming its use of technology to enhance communication, administration and delivery. Since October 2025, he has been developing a new, forward‑thinking cadet programme that is reshaping youth engagement in Kent and attracting interest from cadet organisations nationwide, including the military cadet forces. The Kent Volunteer Police Cadets received the King’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2025, and Tom has since been nominated for the Chief Constable’s Innovation Award for his contributions to inspiring and empowering young people.
BIO:
Astrid is the programme lead for specialist volunteers. She leads the development of a program that connects specialist volunteers with teams across the North-Netherlands regional unit. Identify capability needs, recruit and match experts, coordinate their deployment, and explore new opportunities for leveraging volunteer expertise (not limited to digital).Astrid is an OSINT and Operational Intelligence specialist with over 35 years of digital experience.
BIO:
Ingrid Nyborg is a Professor in International Environment and Development Studies, at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, and head of the Center for Community-Based Policing and Post-Conflict Police Reform (ICT4COP Center). She has over 35 years of experience in post-conflict and post-crisis development, human security and civil security reforms, with experience from Africa, South Asia, Europe, USA and most recently Ukraine. A qualitative and interdisciplinary researcher, her methodological focus is on the empowering and capacity-building potentials of participatory methods and co-production of knowledge with members of local communities, development organizations, and government that promote collaborative approaches for improving human security and well-being.
BIO:
Grant is the police and criminal justice ambassador for the Cyber Helpline. He has served as a Special Constable with the Metropolitan Police since 2022 first in Frontline Policing and now in Specialist Cyber Crime, contributing directly to cybercrime investigations and prevention operations alongside regular officers. He is a Police & Criminal Justice Ambassador for the Cyber Helpline, a UK charity that provides free, confidential support to individuals and small organisations who have been victims of cybercrime, and he sits on its Advisory Board. He also advises the Retired Investigators Guild, a professional network of former law enforcement and intelligence officers, on matters of cyber and digital risk.
BIO:
Sarah joined the National Volunteer Police Cadets in February 2024 and is one of our two Development Officers who are responsible for offering development opportunities and support to Cadet schemes. This includes assisting schemes to recognise examples of good practice and areas requiring further improvement, helping schemes to attract new Volunteer Leaders, and managing grant awards from DCMS funding. Based with Devon and Cornwall police the Development Officers travel on a national basis and are available to assist all Forces. Sarah comes from a background in intelligence and anti-corruption with Surrey police.
BIO:
Rebecca Pritchard is Head of Crime Prevention, Volunteering, Assurance and Policy at the Metropolitan Police. Prior to the Met, Rebecca worked in the charity sector for 15 years, building communities of support and volunteering programmes behind causes across the health and youth sectors.
BIO:
Luc is First Chief Inspector of Police. He is a Neighbourhood Liaison Officer within the Brussels-Capital Ixelles Police Zone (DPI XLO – Proxi Cocq), where he develops innovative community policing strategies focused on prevention and proactive problem‑solving. With over 30 years of experience, he specializes in police–youth relations, partnership-based approaches, and community engagement. He has initiated several pioneering projects, including the Popup Police Store and multiple initiatives that strengthen dialogue between police officers and youth stakeholders. A trainer in incivilities and cyberharassment, he regularly delivers training sessions to schools and police services. As a recognized speaker, he has presented the Buurtregisseur concept at international conferences in Paris, New York, Gdańsk, Montreal, and Amsterdam. His work is centered on social cohesion, nuisance management, and the development of sustainable, locally driven solutions for urban safety.
International Symposium on Volunteering and Complementary Policing 2026 – All rights reserved!