Gloria Laycock
Encyclopedia
Gloria Laycock, OBE
, is Director of the Jill Dando Institute
of Crime Science
at University College London (UCL)
, and runs UCL's Centre for Security & Crime Science. She is an internationally renowned expert in crime prevention
, and especially situational approaches
which seek to design out situations which provoke crime
.
She was born in New Brighton and raised in Liverpool, England, and graduated in Psychology
from UCL in 1968. She began her career as a prison psychologist, and in 1975 she completed her PhD, working at Wormwood Scrubs
prison in west London. Building on her PhD research, she commenced work in the late 1970s at the Home Office Research Unit where she stayed for over thirty years, dedicating the last twenty to research and development in the policing and crime prevention fields.
She founded the Home Office
Police Research Group, and edited its publications on policing and crime prevention for seven years. Alongside working in Britain, she has been a consultant on policing and crime prevention in North America, Australia, Israel, South Africa and Europe. She is currently an advisor to HEUNI, a UN affiliated crime prevention organisation based in Helsinki
.
In 1999 she was awarded an International Fellowship by the United States National Institute of Justice in Washington DC, followed by a four month consultancy at the Australian Institute of Criminology
in Canberra
. She returned to the UK to take up the post as the founding Director of the Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science in 2001. The institute seeks to engage a wide range of sciences in cross-discipline work with crime reduction as its aim.
Professor Laycock’s contributions cover a wide range of policing and crime prevention topics. A major contribution was to the development of a research programme on repeat crime victimisation. This was both theoretically important and very useful as a practical way in which police could concentrate their crime prevention efforts. The prevention of repeat victimisation became an important indicator of policing performance and effectiveness in the United Kingdom, and is the best example of the way in which she has encouraged the development of evidence-led policing.
She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, is Director of the Jill Dando Institute
Jill Dando Institute
The UCL Jill Dando Institute of Security and Crime Science is an institute of crime science located in London, United Kingdom and a part of University College London...
of Crime Science
Crime science
Crime science is the study of crime in order to find ways to prevent it. Three features distinguish crime science from criminology: it is single-minded about cutting crime, rather than studying it for its own sake; accordingly it focuses on crime rather than criminals; and it is multidisciplinary,...
at University College London (UCL)
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
, and runs UCL's Centre for Security & Crime Science. She is an internationally renowned expert in crime prevention
Crime prevention
Crime prevention is the attempt to reduce victimization and to deter crime and criminals. It is applied specifically to efforts made by governments to reduce crime, enforce the law, and maintain criminal justice.-Studies:...
, and especially situational approaches
Rational choice theory (criminology)
In criminology, the rational choice theory adopts a utilitarian belief that man is a reasoning actor who weighs means and ends, costs and benefits, and makes a ra...
which seek to design out situations which provoke crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
.
She was born in New Brighton and raised in Liverpool, England, and graduated in Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
from UCL in 1968. She began her career as a prison psychologist, and in 1975 she completed her PhD, working at Wormwood Scrubs
Wormwood Scrubs
Wormwood Scrubs, known locally as The Scrubs, is an open space located in the north-eastern corner of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London. It is the largest open space in the Borough, at 80 ha , and one of the largest areas of common land in London...
prison in west London. Building on her PhD research, she commenced work in the late 1970s at the Home Office Research Unit where she stayed for over thirty years, dedicating the last twenty to research and development in the policing and crime prevention fields.
She founded the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
Police Research Group, and edited its publications on policing and crime prevention for seven years. Alongside working in Britain, she has been a consultant on policing and crime prevention in North America, Australia, Israel, South Africa and Europe. She is currently an advisor to HEUNI, a UN affiliated crime prevention organisation based in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
.
In 1999 she was awarded an International Fellowship by the United States National Institute of Justice in Washington DC, followed by a four month consultancy at the Australian Institute of Criminology
Australian Institute of Criminology
The Australian Institute of Criminology is Australia's national research and knowledge centre on crime and justice. The Institute seeks to promote justice and reduce crime by undertaking and communicating evidence-based research to inform policy and practice.The functions of the AIC include...
in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
. She returned to the UK to take up the post as the founding Director of the Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science in 2001. The institute seeks to engage a wide range of sciences in cross-discipline work with crime reduction as its aim.
Professor Laycock’s contributions cover a wide range of policing and crime prevention topics. A major contribution was to the development of a research programme on repeat crime victimisation. This was both theoretically important and very useful as a practical way in which police could concentrate their crime prevention efforts. The prevention of repeat victimisation became an important indicator of policing performance and effectiveness in the United Kingdom, and is the best example of the way in which she has encouraged the development of evidence-led policing.
She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours.