Key details
Dr Melissa Pepper
Senior Lecturer in Criminology
Dr Melissa Pepper joined the School of Law and Criminology in 2020 after completing her Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded PhD at the University of Surrey. Her thesis explored the motivations, contributions, and experiences of Police Support Volunteers in a large urban constabulary in England. Melissa's research interests focus on the role that citizens play in policing, particularly as volunteers, and the broader pluralisation of policing and the extended police 'family'.
Prior to joining Greenwich, Melissa worked in government social research for 18 years, first in the Home Office, then the London Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime. Melissa has contributed to and led evaluation, research, and analysis across a range of crime and justice policy areas including domestic and sexual violence, substance misuse, stop and search, and community-police engagement.
Responsibilities within the university
- Lecturer in Criminology
- Programme Leader Criminology and Criminal Psychology (Extended)
- Module leader, Introduction to Criminology (Level 3)
- Module leader, Foundations of Criminology (Level 4)
- Co-module leader, Criminology, the Community, and Work Based Practice (Level 6)
- Module leader, Controversies in Contemporary Criminology (Level 7)
- Supervisor of undergraduate and postgraduate criminology dissertations
- Personal Tutor for undergraduate and postgraduate criminology students
Recognition
- Member of the British Society of Criminology
- Member of the European Society of Criminology
- Member of the International Criminal Justice Voluntary Sector Research Network (CRIMVOL)
- Co-chair and trustee of the Robert Clack Development Trust
Research / Scholarly interests
Research interests include:
- The role of the citizen in policing
- Volunteers in policing
- Community-police engagement
- The pluralisation of policing and the extended police 'family'
Recent publications
Article
Pepper, Melissa and , (2021), Theorising the police support volunteer experience in an English constabulary: a role identity perspective. Taylor & Francis. In: , , , . Taylor & Francis, Policing and Society: An International Journal of Research and Policy, 32 (8) . pp. 1031-1047 ISSN: 1043-9463 (Print), 1477-2728 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/10439463.2021.1999449).
Pepper, Melissa and , (2021), ‘Once I joined my motivations changed’: exploring the initial and continuing motivations of police support volunteers in an English constabulary. Oxford University Press. In: , , , . Oxford University Press, Policing, 15 (4) . pp. 2297-2309 ISSN: 1752-4512 (Print), 1752-4520 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/police/paab057).
Pepper, Melissa and , (2020), BOOK REVIEW Volunteer police, choosing to serve: exploring, comparing, and assessing volunteer policing in the United States and the United Kingdom by Ross Wolf and Carol Borland Jones, New York, Routledge, 2018, 186 pp., £120 (hardback)/£36.99 (paperback), ISBN 9781466564954. Taylor & Francis. In: , , , . Taylor & Francis, Policing and Society: An International Journal of Research and Policy, 30 (7) . pp. 870-872 ISSN: 1043-9463 (Print), 1477-2728 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/10439463.2020.1803316).
Pepper, Melissa and , (2020), An academic’s view on the barriers to reporting crime. CrimeStoppers. In: , , , . CrimeStoppers, CrimeStoppers' Connections Magazine, 21 . pp. 10-12 (doi: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/campaigns-media/our-publications/connections-magazine).
Pepper, Melissa , Bullock, Karen, McCarthy, Daniel (2020), Exploring the role and contribution of police support volunteers in an English constabulary. Oxford University Press. In: , , , . Oxford University Press, Policing, 15 (4) . pp. 2015-2028 ISSN: 1752-4512 (Print), 1752-4520 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/police/paaa005).
Callender, Matthew , Pepper, Melissa, Cahalin, Kathryn, Britton, Iain (2018), Exploring the police support volunteer experience: findings from a national survey. Taylor and Francis. In: , , , . Taylor and Francis, Policing and Society, 29 (4) . pp. 392-406 ISSN: 1043-9463 (Print), 1477-2728 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/10439463.2018.1432613).
Pepper, Melissa and , (2016), Distant relatives or part of the family? Exploring the evidence on police volunteers. CoPaCC. In: , , , . CoPaCC, Policing Insight (doi: https://policinginsight.com/features/opinion/distant-relatives-part-family-exploring-evidence-police-volunteers/).
Pepper, Melissa and , Silvestri, Marisa (2016), ‘It’s Like Another Family Innit’: building police-youth relations through the metropolitan police service volunteer police cadet programme. Oxford University Press. In: , , , . Oxford University Press, Policing, 11 (1) . pp. 1-13 ISSN: 1752-4512 (Print), 1752-4520 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/police/paw007).
Book section
Pepper, Melissa and , (2022), Supporting and developing Police Support Volunteers in a large urban constabulary in England, UK. Springer. In: , , In: Nathalie Hirshmann, Tobias John, Frauke Reichl, Jacqueline Abigail Garand (eds.), Plural Policing in the Global North: Insights into Concepts, Abstracts and Practices. Springer, Cham, Switzerland , 1 (1st) . pp. 87-109 . ISBN: 9783031162725; 9783031162732 (doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-16273-2_6).
Conference item
Pepper, Melissa and , Bullock, Karen (2023), Safer roads through citizen partnerships: enhancing road safety with community speedwatch volunteers. In: British Society of Criminology (BSC), 27th - 30th June 2023, University of Central Lancashire , . , (doi: https://www.britsoccrim.org/conference/).
Pepper, Melissa and , (2020), Police support volunteers: unrecognised and under the radar?. CRIMVOL network. In: CRIMVOL network: The International Criminal Justice Voluntary Sector Research Network Fourth CRIMVOL virtual working paper session, 5th November 2020, Online , . CRIMVOL network, UK CRIMVOL: The International Criminal Justice Voluntary Network (n/a) (doi: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/prisons-health-and-societies/documents/events/fourth-crimvol-virtual-working-paper-session.pdf).
Pepper, Melissa and , (2019), Between inside and outside: exploring the role and contribution of police support volunteers. In: British Society of Criminology Conference 2019: Public Criminologies: Community, Conflict and Justice, 02-05 Jul 2019, Lincoln, UK , British Society of Criminology conference 2019. , (doi: ).
Pepper, Melissa and , (2017), Doing more for less in changing times? The use of volunteers in policing. In: American Society of Criminology 73rd Annual Meeting, 15-18 Nov 2017, Philadelphia, USA , American Society of Criminology conference. , (doi: ) NB Item availability restricted.
Pepper, Melissa and , McAleese, Samantha (2017), CRIMVOL: The International Criminal Justice Voluntary Sector Research Network. In: Network American Society of Criminology 2017, 15-18 November 2017, Philadelphia , . , CRIMVOL: The International Criminal Justice Voluntary Sector Research Network . pp. 1-20 (doi: https://asc41.com/events/2017-asc-annual-meeting/).
Pepper, Melissa and , (2016), Doing more for less in changing times: the use of volunteers in policing. In: American Society of Criminology Conference: The Many Colors of Crime and Justice, 16-19 Nov 2016, New Orleans, USA , . , (doi: ).
Conference proceedings
Pepper, Melissa and , (2018), Doing more for less in changing times? The use of volunteers in policing. European Society of Criminology. In: European Society of Criminology Conference, 29 August - 1 September 2018, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina , EUROCRIM 2018: 18th Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology: Crimes Against Humans and Crimes against Humanity Book of abstracts. European Society of Criminology, . pp. 266 (doi: https://esc-eurocrim.org/images/esc/files/Abstracts_Sarajevo_2018.pdf) NB Item availability restricted.
Monograph
Pepper, Melissa and , Bullock, Karen (2024), Safer roads through citizen partnerships: enhancing road safety with community speedwatch volunteers (Report to Road Safety Trust). The Road Safety Trust. In: , , , . The Road Safety Trust, Surrey and Sussex Constabularies; London (1st) (doi: https://www.roadsafetytrust.org.uk/small-grants-awarded/university-of-greenwich).
Pepper, Melissa and , McKinnon, Helena (2017), Harmful Practices Pilot: Final Evaluation Report. Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC). In: , , , . Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), (doi: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/mopac_harmful_practices_pilot_final_evaluation_report.pdf) NB Item availability restricted.
Pepper, Melissa and , Dawson, Paul (2016), Alcohol Abstinence Monitoring Requirement: A process review of the proof of concept pilot (MOPAC Evidence and Insight Unit evaluation report). Drug and Alcohol Findings. In: , , , . Drug and Alcohol Findings, London, UK (1st) (doi: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/aamr_final.pdf).
Working paper
Pepper, Melissa and , (2020), Report on the launch event of the CRIMVOL virtual working paper series. CRIMVOL network. In: , , , . CRIMVOL network, UK CRIMVOL virtual working paper series (doi: ).