Leading University of Queensland (UQ) criminologist Professor Lorraine Mazerolle is the 2013 recipient of the Joan McCord Award for outstanding contributions to experimental research, policy and practice, and for developing the experimental careers of younger colleagues.
Professor Mazerolle is an Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow and the Policing and Security Program’s research leader at the Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR).
She is highly-regarded for her experimental criminology research, leading a strong team of talented, multi-disciplinary researchers at UQ – and for her collaborations with policing and government authorities to improve criminal justice practices.
Professor Mazerolle said she was delighted to hear that she is the 2013 recipient of the award and was proud to follow in the footsteps of Joan McCord, a pioneer of experimental criminology.
“I am deeply humbled to be the 2013 recipient of the award. The award offers me a chance to showcase the experimental work of my team at UQ – especially my experimental colleagues Drs Sarah Bennett, Emma Antrobus and Angela Higginson – who are all deeply embedded in working with me to advance experimental criminology here in Australia,” she said.
Professor Mazerolle said she was proud to follow in Joan McCord’s footsteps as she was a pioneer in field experimentation and wasn’t afraid to publish controversial findings.
“Joan was always on the front foot in making sure the results – good and bad – were published widely, in academic, media and industry outlets,” Professor Mazerolle said.
According to Professor Mazerolle, Joan was a perfectionist, disliked sloppy science and always made sure her work left no stone unturned.
“Like Joan, I truly believe that my team at UQ go that extra mile to ensure scientific integrity underpins everything we do. They are passionate and spirited scholars and I am honoured to have the opportunity to lead the team at UQ,” Professor Mazerolle said.
Professor Mazerolle led the Queensland Community Engagement Trial (QCET) that surveyed 21,000 drivers in 60 stationary Random Breath Testing operations in Queensland and found the encounter was far more successful if the police adopt, what is termed, “procedural justice” techniques of interaction with the public.
The Queensland Police Service (QPS) is actively considering how the results of the QCET experiment might be used in other areas of police engagement with citizens, particularly in highly volatile encounters that generate a lot of complaints.
The trial is being replicated in South Carolina in the United States and in Turkey, New Zealand and Scotland.
Professor Mazerolle is currently leading the evaluation of Project ABILITY which is an intervention program aimed at reducing truancy and anti-social behaviour among at-risk youth.
The evaluation of the ABILITY trial is funded by Professor Mazerolle’s ARC Laureate Fellowship and will evaluate “Third Party Policing” (TPP) where the police, family, school and government authorities all collaborate in an effort to reduce the level of truancy and anti-social behaviour of the youth involved.
