Dr Steve Tong

Steve has a number of research interests including criminal investigation, police professionalisation and international policing. He is interested in conducting research in a variety of areas in policing.

Twitter: @CCCUPolRes, @SteveTongCCCU

Background

Steve's PhD research involved exploring the contribution of detective training to practice. He was appointed as Lecturer in Policing at Canterbury Christ Church University in 2002. Since then he has contributed to the development of policing curriculum at undergraduate/postgraduate level and published on a range of policing issues.

He is currently Director of the Canterbury Centre for Policing Research (CCPR), Acting Director of Research & Knowledge Exchange and Adjunct Associate Professor at Charles Sturt University. He is currently involved in research on public perceptions of terrorism and counter terrorist strategy, detective training and Brexit and security.

Research interests

• Criminal investigation
• Police professionalization
• Conducting police research
• International policing

Areas of research supervision

• Barriers to professionalization: the experience of the policing ‘pracademic’ in England and Wales.
• 'Rehabilitation to recovery: analysing the role of government policy on the working practices and beliefs of drug treatment professionals.'
• 'Victimising the Victim: An investigation into the extent to which inequality exists within response and support services for victims of domestic violence.'
• 'Journey from Policy to Practice – Investigation into the local implementation of the ‘Ending Violence Against Women and Girls’ (VAWG) National Domestic Violence Policy (England & Wales).'
• 'A study into the extent to which youth justice strategy since 1997 has achieved responsibilisation of young offenders and their parents.'
• 'An Examination of Investigations in to Sexual Offences Against Children.'
• 'An investigation into the Social Identity of Police Officers and how that identity is maintained, developed and challenged.'

Qualifications

• PhD, 'Training the Effective Detective: A case-study examining the role of training in learning to be a detective.' 1999–2004 Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge, UK
• MPhil in Criminology, 1997-1998 Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge, UK

Memberships, editorial boards

• 2017: International Advisory Board of the Portuguese Journal of Police Sciences
• 2017: Guest Editor with Prof Tracey Green Special Edition Policing: A Journal of Police and Practice
• 2014-present: Editorial Advisory Board: Cogenta Law, Crime, Justice & Society
• 2014-present: Editor and founder for book Series: Key Themes in Policing with Marisa Silvestri and Megan O’Neill (Policy Press)
• 2014-present:The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles

Selected recent publications

Heaton. R, Bryant. R & Tong. S (Forthcoming) 'Operational Risk, Omissions and Liability in Policing', The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles.

Tong. S & Hallenberg, K (2018) 'Education and the police professionalisation agenda: a perspective from England & Wales' in C. Rogers & B. Frevel (eds) Higher Police Education - An International Perspective, Springer International.

Tong, S (2017) 'Professionalising policing: seeking viable and sustainable approaches to police education and learning', CEPOL Science Bulletin.

Heaton. R and Tong. S (2017) 'The Peelian Principles – an Essential Myth?', 9 November, Police Professional.

Wood. D, Cockcroft. T, Tong. S & Bryant. R (2017) 'The importance of context and cognitive agency in developing police knowledge: going beyond the police science discourse' The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles.

Brunger, M, Martin, D & Tong, S (eds) (2016) Introduction to Policing Research: Taking Lessons from Practice, London: Routledge.

Brunger. M, Tong, S & Martin. D (2016) 'Introduction to Policing Research' in M. Brunger, D. Martin & S. Tong (eds) Introduction to Policing Research: Taking Lessons from Practice, London: Routledge.

Brunger, M. Tong. S, Caless. B & Gilbert. P (2016) 'From the briefing room to the class room': the pedagogical value of researching the police Elites’ in M. Brunger, D. Martin & S. Tong (eds) Introduction to Policing Research: Taking Lessons from Practice, London: Routledge.

Hallenberg. K, O’Neil. M & Tong. S (2016) 'Watching the Detectives: researching investigative practice' in M. Brunger, D. Martin & S. Tong (eds) Introduction to Policing Research: Taking Lessons from Practice, London: Routledge.

Heaton. R & Tong, S (2016) 'Evidence-Based Policing: From Effectiveness to Cost-Effectiveness' in Policing: A Journal for Policy and Practice, Volume 10 Issue 1 March 2016, pp. 60-70.

Martin, D & Tong, S (2016) 'Challenges and changes in police research' in M. Brunger, D. Martin & S. Tong (eds) Introduction to Policing Research: Taking Lessons from Practice, London: Routledge.

Caless, B & Tong S (2015) Leading Policing in Europe: An Empirical Study of Police Leadership, Bristol: Policy Press.

Caless, B & Tong, S (2015) 'Strategic Police Leadership across Europe: Empirical Study', European Police Science and Research Bulletin, Issue 12, Summer 2015, pp. 13-17

Bryant, R, Cockcroft, T, Tong, S & Wood, D (2013) 'Police Training and Education: Past, present and future', in Brown, J (ed) The Future of Policing: Papers prepared for the Stevens Independent Commission into the Future of Policing in England and Wales, London, Routledge.

Alys, L, Massey, K & Tong. S (2013) 'Investigative Decision Making: Missing people and sexual offences, crossroads to an uncertain future', Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, Volume 10, Issue 1, pp 140-154.

Caless, B & Tong, S (2013) ' 'An appropriate space': chief officers and police accountability', Police Practice & Research, Volume 14 Issue 1, pp. 4-16.

Silvestri, M, Tong, S & Brown, J (2013) Gender and police leadership: time for a paradigm shift?, International Journal of Police Science and Management 15, 1 61-72.

Recent presentations and conferences

Tong, S (2017) 'Police and Higher Education: prospects and challenges II workshop', Scottish Institute for Policing Research (SIPR) Annual Conference - Policing and Professionalisation: opportunities and challenges, 14 December 2017. Invited speaker.

Tong, D (2017) 'Sink or Swim: A Case Study of Detective Training', MSc Sociology and Criminology annual conference, University of Surrey, 24-25 November 2017. Invited speaker.

Mozova. K & Tong, S (2017) Public fear of terrorism and counter-terrorism awareness, Tuesday 14 November, New Scotland Yard, London, Metropolitan Black Police Association. Invited speaker.

Tong, S (2017) 'Professionalising criminal investigation - an examination of early attempts to professionalise detectives in the United Kingdom', Academy of Criminal Justice Science Conference, Kansas City, USA. Invited speaker.

Tong, S (2017) 'Art, Craft and Science of Policing', Bridgewater State University. Invited speaker.

Tong, S (2017) 'Evidence-based policing, professionalization and challenges to policing Britain', Bridgewater State University. Invited speaker

Tong, S (2017) 'Conducting research into European Policing' German Police University, Munster, Germany, Thursday 9 March 2017. Invited speaker.

Tong, S (2016) 'Professionalising policing: seeking viable and sustainable approaches to police education'; European Police Research and Science Conference CEPOL ‘Global Trends in Law Enforcement and Training’, Budapest 5-7 October.

Tong, S (2016) 'Learning from Mistakes? Policing Under Siege: An examination of high profile criticisms of policing and potential responses'. Thursday 21 July, New Scotland Yard, London, Metropolitan Black Police Association. Invited speaker.

Tong, S (2016) 'Professionalising policing: challenges in the role of education', British Society of Criminology, Nottingham Conference Centre 6-8 July.

Tong. S (2016) 'Police Reform workshop: Professionalisation through Education'; European Police Research Institutes Collaboration (EPiC) Annual Conference 2016, 30 June - 1 July, University Hall Conference Centre, Cardiff University.

Tong. S (2016) 'The History of Criminal Investigation', Norwegian Police University College, Oslo, January 2016. Invited speaker.

Media experience

• BBC Radio Kent Pat Marsh and Erika North show Response to PCC results.  7 May 2016.
• BBC Radio Kent Lembit Opik morning show interview on voting and PCC elections. 6 May 2016.
• CSRfm Radio interview on PCCs. 28 April 2016.
• Kent on Sunday: 'Will you be voting in May's police and crime commissioner election?'  Interview with Dr Steve Tong. 17 April 2016.
• Kent on Sunday: 'Tough justice not the answer, says experts: Academic in call for rehabilitation'. June 2009.