Policing expert in the media

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Published

08 March 2023

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Emma Cunningham, Senior Lecturer in Criminology  at the Royal Docks School of Business and Law was called upon by a number of national media to provide her expert views on the Nicola Bulley investigation conducted by Lancashire Police. This followed disclosure around Nicola Bulley's private and personal issues relating to alcohol and the menopause which were revealed to the general public during a press conference. 

 

Emma Cunningham

Emma was interviewed by BBC News and 5 News on whether this information was a breach of Nicola's human rights and necessary to have been put into the public domain. Other media included The i , The Guardian , Daily Mail , BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Herts and Worcester, BBC Radio Wales and  Sky News. 

In her submission to the i paper, Emma did not think that Nicola Bulley’s alcohol issues were in the public interest and she did not think it would stop people from speculating about the case. Speaking to BBC 5 Live Breakfast show Emma commented about "the negative implications of talking about Nicola’s alcohol and menopause issues" and how this "breeds into the victim-blaming dialogue.” In examining the lessons learned from this case she said, "more than ever, the police need critical friends to provide advice on how to deal with some issues they are having to deal with". She reiterated the sentiment in a Guardian interview highlighting that bringing out the vulnerabilities of victims in detail can add to the "negative connotation with the police and lack of trust, particularly when it comes to women."

Emma Cunningham is a leading expert in women in policing. Her new book "Women in Policing: Feminist Perspectives on Theory and Practice (1st ed.)" was driven by a pursuit of examining ideas and practice in relation to equality, diversity and social justice. Her work has made important contributions to an understanding of the history of women’s integration in policing and the arguments of sameness and difference which were used and applied to women, contributing to a deeper understanding of the challenges women in policing face and have faced. The book was written during the period that Sarah Everard went missing and considers the continued misogyny in policing that has been seen since the publication of the book in the worst examples such as Wayne Couzens, David Carrick, Police Service of Northern Ireland and Policing Scotland and Wales. Read recent piece in The Conversation.

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