I help people use data to reduce crime. Associate Professor, Crime Science, UCL. Former police officer. 🌐: mattashby.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/mattashby.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/mattashby.com/post/3muwobymajm2jLarge survey finds police in England and Wales say “ill-fitting, inconsistent or low-quality uniforms [undermine] confidence, pride and their ability to present a professional image”. I doubt 46 forces each having slightly different uniforms helps. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azag06207 Sep 2026 14:01 +0000at://did:plc:d2kv3tpst3x3fkvpvbdkktva/app.bsky.feed.post/3muwobymajm2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/mattashby.com/post/3muelg3j3bc2nA lovely week cycling round Lake Constance (🇩🇪🇨🇭🇦🇹) in glorious sunshine. 😊31 Aug 2026 09:22 +0000at://did:plc:d2kv3tpst3x3fkvpvbdkktva/app.bsky.feed.post/3muelg3j3bc2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/mattashby.com/post/3mtgvgq5lja2wIntroducing fixed automatic number plate recognition cameras was associated with decreases in motor-vehicle theft, an increase in the proportion of vehicle thefts that were solved and with stolen vehicles being recovered by police slightly faster. https://doi.org/10.21428/cb6ab371.0dc2400619 Aug 2026 14:02 +0000at://did:plc:d2kv3tpst3x3fkvpvbdkktva/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtgvgq5lja2whttps://bsky.app/profile/mattashby.com/post/3mteewxqvqj26This paper argues police efforts to improve internal equity, diversity and inclusion (e.g. by implementing procedural justice in disciplinary matters) should be considered as investments in "legitimacy infrastructure" to improve public confidence. https://doi.org/10.21428/cb6ab371.d797eae918 Aug 2026 14:01 +0000at://did:plc:d2kv3tpst3x3fkvpvbdkktva/app.bsky.feed.post/3mteewxqvqj26https://bsky.app/profile/mattashby.com/post/3mtbui3mtvw2xIn a lab experiment, witnesses viewed police officers (🇺🇸) as more professional and attentive when officers took notes in a paper notebook rather than on a smartphone. Phones are obviously more useful, but may be a barrier between officers and public. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11292-026-09776-y17 Aug 2026 14:01 +0000at://did:plc:d2kv3tpst3x3fkvpvbdkktva/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtbui3mtvw2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/mattashby.com/post/3msw5eaykt226Two absolutely fantastic experiences (illustrated with two bad photos) in one evening. Both completely brilliant.12 Aug 2026 22:08 +0000at://did:plc:d2kv3tpst3x3fkvpvbdkktva/app.bsky.feed.post/3msw5eaykt226https://bsky.app/profile/mattashby.com/post/3msvc5hsmlm26How much violence is there in London compared to the US? The Economist website covers our research on benchmarking crime in London against other global cities. https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2026/08/09/is-europe-safer-than-america?giftId=MDAzYTQ5NTMtMjQ2MS00YTAyLWEwZmYtOWVhMDUyMjI5ZTYzdGVnX3VzZXI%3D&utm_campaign=gifted_article&source=internal12 Aug 2026 14:01 +0000at://did:plc:d2kv3tpst3x3fkvpvbdkktva/app.bsky.feed.post/3msvc5hsmlm26https://bsky.app/profile/mattashby.com/post/3mssro7nmpd2uAI tools can be used to effectively help human police staff (🇬🇧) better identify potential markers of vulnerability (eg mental illness, substance misuse) in police call logs, but aren’t reliable enough to do that task alone. https://www.crimrxiv.com/pub/p9l28bjj11 Aug 2026 14:01 +0000at://did:plc:d2kv3tpst3x3fkvpvbdkktva/app.bsky.feed.post/3mssro7nmpd2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/mattashby.com/post/3mso5jhenuc2kShort thread on how some economics journals are (and, crucially, aren’t) using generative AI in the publishing process. I already get ChatGPT to ‘review’ all my papers before I submit them and find that very useful in catching issues, but I’d like to see crim journals adopt these tools too. [contains quote post or other embedded content]09 Aug 2026 17:50 +0000at://did:plc:d2kv3tpst3x3fkvpvbdkktva/app.bsky.feed.post/3mso5jhenuc2khttps://bsky.app/profile/mattashby.com/post/3msnd7itwck2cWell this never gets old!09 Aug 2026 09:59 +0000at://did:plc:d2kv3tpst3x3fkvpvbdkktva/app.bsky.feed.post/3msnd7itwck2chttps://bsky.app/profile/mattashby.com/post/3msiptpikd62eIncreasingly 'corporate' organised crime groups (🇸🇪) use external 'contractors' and 'decoys' (often via specialist brokers) for gang killings and compartmentalise their activities to minimise the risks of detection. Nice application of crime scripting: https://doi.org/10.21428/cb6ab371.443d5fb407 Aug 2026 14:02 +0000at://did:plc:d2kv3tpst3x3fkvpvbdkktva/app.bsky.feed.post/3msiptpikd62ehttps://bsky.app/profile/mattashby.com/post/3msg7eg2dkv2iResidents of neighbourhoods with very high violence (🇺🇸) who believed police act fairly and without racial bias were much more likely to say they’d give police information about a homicide, compared to residents who believe police are biased. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-026-09934-y06 Aug 2026 14:01 +0000at://did:plc:d2kv3tpst3x3fkvpvbdkktva/app.bsky.feed.post/3msg7eg2dkv2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/mattashby.com/post/3msdowokimv2lNew paper by @lisatompson.bsky.social points out there’s lots of evidence of disparities in how policing affects different groups, but surprisingly little evidence of *why*. It’s very easy to jump to conclusions, but it’s unlikely any one explanation tells the whole story. https://doi.org/10.21428/cb6ab371.b71875c005 Aug 2026 14:02 +0000at://did:plc:d2kv3tpst3x3fkvpvbdkktva/app.bsky.feed.post/3msdowokimv2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/mattashby.com/post/3msb6ivq5go2hThis detailed review of what we know about gun-shot detection systems (eg Shot Spotter) explains how thin evidence of their effectiveness is, despite them having been studied quite a lot and police (🇺🇸) spending a lot of money on them. https://doi.org/10.21428/cb6ab371.ef66e81d04 Aug 2026 14:03 +0000at://did:plc:d2kv3tpst3x3fkvpvbdkktva/app.bsky.feed.post/3msb6ivq5go2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/mattashby.com/post/3ms6nxje44r2fA useful summary of ways in which generative AI tools can be used to support intelligence analysis relating to protecting high-profile individuals, and some of the challenges. https://doi.org/10.1111/lcrp.7005403 Aug 2026 14:01 +0000at://did:plc:d2kv3tpst3x3fkvpvbdkktva/app.bsky.feed.post/3ms6nxje44r2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/mattashby.com/post/3mrx4kckylj2sUsing civil banning orders – similar to the laws used to proscribe terrorist groups – against outlaw motorcycle gangs involved in organised crime (🇳🇱) had no effect on offending by members of those groups. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10610-026-09682-z31 Jul 2026 14:01 +0000at://did:plc:d2kv3tpst3x3fkvpvbdkktva/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrx4kckylj2shttps://bsky.app/profile/mattashby.com/post/3mrurv4xcrk2gMore research symposia should take place in sunny gardens. Thanks @jpinasanchez.eurosky.social and @ianloader.bsky.social for organising!30 Jul 2026 15:45 +0000at://did:plc:d2kv3tpst3x3fkvpvbdkktva/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrurv4xcrk2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/mattashby.com/post/3mrum45uxww2xAfter being Taser trained, police (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿) tended to use Taser when they would have used other tactics like restraint. But that didn’t lead to any change in the likelihood of officer or subject being injured. (NB, though: not a randomised trial) https://www.crimrxiv.com/pub/8bsdg5r930 Jul 2026 14:02 +0000at://did:plc:d2kv3tpst3x3fkvpvbdkktva/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrum45uxww2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/mattashby.com/post/3mrpl5ftntz2sNew tech can create new crime opportunities. If tech isn’t designed so it blocks these opportunities, new tech can cause a crime boom. I played a small part in this paper that tries to spot crime opportunities created by climate change mitigation tech e.g. renewable energy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2026.10203628 Jul 2026 14:01 +0000at://did:plc:d2kv3tpst3x3fkvpvbdkktva/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrpl5ftntz2shttps://bsky.app/profile/mattashby.com/post/3mrn2lystjs2xIs crime in London ‘through the roof’? No. In comparison to other major global cities, people in London are fairly safe from most types of crime, as I talk about on this week’s episode of More or Less: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct999027 Jul 2026 14:00 +0000at://did:plc:d2kv3tpst3x3fkvpvbdkktva/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrn2lystjs2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/mattashby.com/post/3mqrfhx3qfp27Systematic review finds increases in temperature are associated with increases in violence, including domestic abuse and sexual violence, but we need more evidence on the how that varies in different contexts, especially as extreme heat gets more common. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380261460839y16 Jul 2026 14:00 +0000at://did:plc:d2kv3tpst3x3fkvpvbdkktva/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqrfhx3qfp27