Neil DavidsonUniversity of Dundee

Introduction Why the need for this research?

The NTE is generally associated with high levels of violence and disorder

If the essence of policing is reduction of crime and ensuring public safety then the NTE presents a significant challenge to the police in Scotland

Highly concentrated in specific times and places

No. of recorded incidents in a small town on Sat night/Sun morning from July – September 2008

All recorded incidences of violence in medium sized city from April to June

2009

All recorded violence in medium sized city April – June 2009 ‘hotspot’ map

Incidents of violence minus petty assaults in medium sized city from April to June 2009

Incidents of violence including petty assault in medium sized city from April to June 2009

The projects key aims• Examine the regulatory and legal framework pertaining to the NTE at the local and

national scale.

• Define what constitutes the NTE in the case study areas by identifying the major areas of NTE activity

• Identify the key stakeholders involved in, or effected by, the policing of the NTE in each of the case study areas

• With respect to these stakeholders examine:▫ Perceptions of the nature of the NTE in the area▫ Perceptions of the policing of the NTE in terms of resources and deployment,

challenges and effectiveness, and inter-agency co-operation;▫ Perceptions of how the policing of the NTE might be made more effective;

• Draw out the policy implications of the project findings for the different stakeholders involved with policing the NTE

Methodology• 3 case study site comparison study

▫ All had to have a relatively substantial NTE ▫ To fit into an urban hierarchy of population size▫ Had to fall into 3 different police force jurisdiction

• Data gathering used mostly qualitative research methods; semi-structured interviews and participant observation sessions with the police during peak NTE times

• Some stats and a few maps

Some findings so far… 3 case study sites had some interesting differences including the different

local cultures and populations which led to different markets, venues, and expectations on the NTE.

3 different case study sites also had 3 different police forces policing them, each with their own priorities for the area and ideas of how to police the NTE

A lot of the literature and the media regarding the NTE can be guilty at times of being sensationalist but there are just as many nights where virtually nothing happens

The pluralisation of policing has been particularly prominent in the policing operation in the NTE.

Modern policing has many facets, but policing the NTE remains centred on the most its most basic premise; the ‘control of space’ through ‘high vis’ presence

Thank you