Spencer Chainey

I work at the interface between academic research and teaching and the reality of crime and criminal behaviour, with researchers and practitioners in helping to improve public safety and improve police professionalism.

I am an Associate Professor at University College London’s Jill Dando Institute of Security and Crime Science (JDI), Director of the JDI Latin America and Caribbean Unit, and JDI Director of Continuing Professional Development. I work on issues associated with policing, public safety, citizen security and criminal investigation. In addition to activities in the UK, I have worked closely with police agencies, ministries and secretariats of security in Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Belize, Jamaica, New Zealand, Australia, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, China, the USA, Canada, South Africa, and Abu Dhabi.

Prior to joining UCL in 2003, I worked in local authorities and the Metropolitan Police in London, and as head consultant for an international software and services company specializing in community safety, regeneration and infrastructure management. I have particular expertise in crime analysis, hot spot policing, community and problem-oriented policing (POP), and intelligence-led policing (ILP), with these skills regularly called upon by police agencies who seek to improve their use of these approaches. I also lead the training and mentoring of detectives and intelligence analysts on a serial crime investigation course, partnered with former-detectives from the UK's National Crime Agency and supported by EuroPol.