Dr Richard Hester
PhD; MSc; BSc
Lecturer in Criminology
School of Law and Social Sciences
Role
Lecturing on the BSc Criminology and other criminology related courses at Oxford Brookes University. Researcher on football policing.
Teaching and supervision
Modules taught
CRIM4002 - Criminal Justice in Action
CRIM6004 - Dealing with Drugs: Control and Intoxication
Research
My PhD examined the legal aspects of cost recovery aspect of football policing in England and Wales. I have previously researched issues connected with youth football violence and football banning orders, and I collaborate with football clubs and police forces on my research.
Publications
Journal articles
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Hester R, '"They stand there looking really bored and pissed off": analysing efficient police resourcing at football matches in England and Wales'
Policing and Society [online first] (2024)
ISSN: 1043-9463 eISSN: 1477-2728AbstractPublished here Open Access on RADARFootball policing in England and Wales is a key area of activity for the police service, with a reported £48 m being spent each season on policing football. There is a reported increase in football-related disorder following the Covid-19 pandemic, and debates in the football policing community about the requirement for increased resource levels being deployed to football. Using qualitative semi-structured interviews, this research captures voices from Dedicated Football Officers (DFOs); football club representatives; and other key stakeholders for policing football in England and Wales. The research shows multiple examples of ineffective and inefficient police resourcing at football matches. Despite calls for more liaison-based policing, there is an apparent emphasis on utilisation of public order units, which comes at great cost for the taxpayer, as well as football clubs. Here, it is argued that a focus on more specialised resources for policing football will lead to better outcomes in terms of preventing crime and improving relations with football supporter communities.
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Hester Richard, Hobson Jonathan, Jones Demelza, '“If we're wrong, take us to court”: An analysis of special police services (SPS) arrangements for the policing of football in England and Wales'
International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice 76 (2024)
ISSN: 1756-0616 eISSN: 1876-763XAbstractPublished here Open Access on RADARUnder the Police Act 1996, Special Police Services (SPS) allow the police in England and Wales to partially cost recover for resources deployed to police events such as football, horse racing and music festivals. Historically, there have been numerous legal cases about SPS charges involving police forces and event organisers. Most recently Ipswich Town Football Club Company Limited vs. The Chief Constable of Suffolk Constabulary [2017] EWCA Civ 1484, resulted in clarification on points of law and a more restricted area within which police forces can charge for SPS. This qualitative research interviews police officers engaged in policing football, football club representatives and other key stakeholders involved in the SPS negotiation process. It finds that there are divisive approaches by both parties, which can result in compromising public safety. The notion of SPS being abolished is explored, despite potential benefits of this, further research is recommended to examine this further.
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Hester R, Hobson J, 'The true cost of policing football in England & Wales: freedom of information data from 2015-2019'
Police Practice and Research 24 (4) (2023) pp.461-474
ISSN: 1561-4263 eISSN: 1477-271XAbstractPublished hereIn 2019, the reported cost of policing football, according to an infographic on South Yorkshire Police’s website, was £48 million per season with £5.5 million being recovered by the police from football clubs. These figures were discussed in Parliament and deemed accurate by politicians. Chief Constable Mark Roberts, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for football policing, says police forces cannot continue to subsidise a multi-billion-pound industry. This research uses Freedom of Information requests submitted to all police forces in England and Wales to establish the true cost of football policing. The results demonstrate that previous data is unreliable, as the actual amount recovered through Special Police Services from football clubs averaged £10 million per season between 2015 and 2019. This paper shows that police forces do not have a grasp of how much is spent on football policing, and the £48 million headline figure is likely overestimated, raising concerns about the lack of transparency over the data in the South Yorkshire Police infographic. Finally, the paper calls for further research to establish the exact cost of football policing and consideration of more efficient methods of football policing that can help to reduce costs and prevent disorder, not only in England and Wales but across Europe.
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Hobson J, Payne B, Bangura K, Hester R, '‘Spaces’ for restorative development: international case studies on restorative services'
Contemporary Justice Review 25 (2) (2022) pp.143-162
ISSN: 1028-2580 eISSN: 1477-2248AbstractPublished hereThis paper examines the concept of the ‘spaces’ into which restorative services develop. We conceptualise such ‘spaces’ as: social, the people and communities; as political, the will for developments; as physical, the geography and facilities; and as economic, dependent on the resources available. The first case study examines the hub-and-spoke model from Gloucestershire, England, where a top-down approach with buy-in at the statutory level provides ‘space’ for institutional engagement and integration of restorative practice. The second examines community-led restorative services in Belfast, Northern Ireland, originally tackling paramilitary violence they now fill a ‘space’ in local communities caused by a distrust of the state. The final case study is from Kenema City, Sierra Leone, where a post-conflict and post-Ebola ‘space’ is filled by an urban agriculture scheme aiming to divert young people from harmful activity and to reintegrate into society. Across the three cases in this paper, we hope to show that the types of ‘space’ we identify can be an important conceptual tool in helping to understand how and why restorative services develop, the provision they offer, and the capacities they haves to expand.
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Hester R, 'Assessing the UK Football Policing Unit Funding of Football Banning Orders in Times of Policing Austerity'
Policing: a Journal of Policy and Practice 15 (2) (2021) pp.1188-1201
ISSN: 1752-4512 eISSN: 1752-4520AbstractPublished hereThis article examines how austerity measures have affected football policing units in UK, with a specific focus on the use of UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) funding for football banning orders. The research utilizes semi-structured interviews with football police officers and examines publicly available Home Office data. Austerity measures were found to be restrictive to operational deployments at football matches, reducing opportunities for early intervention, liaison-based policing, and evidence gathering. The findings offer limited support to previous research into UKFPU funding, in that it is a target driven process. However, new accounts are emerging which show that officers are rejecting the idea of funding for banning orders, and that reform is needed. This could be in the guise of UKFPU funding being utilized for other football policing activities that are aimed at preventing disorder, and engaging supporters into positive behaviour change.
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Hester R, Pamment N, '"It’s become fashionable": Practitioner perspectives on football hooliganism involving young people'
International Journal of Police Science & Management 22 (4) (2020) pp.366-377
ISSN: 1461-3557 eISSN: 1478-1603AbstractPublished hereSenior officers responsible for policing football highlight a concerning increase in football hooliganism involving young people in England and Wales. This study is specifically concerned with people under 18 years old that are engaged with hooliganism in connection with football matches, which is an under-researched problem despite recent high-profile incidents. Surveys and interviews with football club safety officers, and police officers involved in football policing were conducted to gain a first-hand insight into this issue. Freedom of Information requests were sent to the Home Office, to establish data trends in youth arrests, banning orders and disorder at football. Despite the concerns of senior police officers, it was found that there is no readily available Home Office data on football hooliganism involving young people. The study highlights that this issue is perceived to be increasing, with children as young as 10 being involved. Whilst there is some indication that football banning orders are being used on under 18s, this is currently seen as a last resort for police forces with a range of interventions being used in order to divert young people away from football hooliganism. However, there is no nationally adopted approach to managing this issue. Youth projects have had successful results in preventing under 18s from going on to reoffend in a football context. Best practice interventions are recommended, which if adopted by football clubs and police forces may help to minimise the impact of football violence involving young people.
Books
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Hobson J, Payne B, Hester R, Restorative Practices Knowledge Exchange 02-04 April, 2019: Post Conference Report, (2019)
AbstractPublished hereThe Restorative Practices Knowledge Exchange was held at Ulster University, Belfast Campus, from 2nd to 4th April, 2019. The event brought together restorative practitioners, associated organisations and academics from different countries to share knowledge and experiences on building restorative services and the challenges and opportunities faced in developing restorative practices in the future. The three day event considered a range of issues, including: the future of adult Restorative Services; restorative practice for young people; the role of communities in restorative practice; the breadth of situations were restorative practices can have a positive impact; and the Council of Europe Recommendation CM/Rec(2018)8 concerning restorative justice in criminal matters. The event comprised a series of group and panel discussions on these topics informed by a short, anonymous questionnaire designed to highlight the issues most pertinent to those working in this area.
Book chapters
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James J, Hester R, 'Stop and Search Powers in England & Wales: The Commissioner, The Home Secretary, The Media and The Public' in Johnston, Ed; Marsh, Sophie (ed.), Contemporary Issues in Global Criminal Justice, Rowman & Littlefield (2022)
ISBN: 9781793637338 eISBN: 9781793637345Published here
Other publications
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Hester R, 'The German tactic English police need to control football fans', (2024)
AbstractPublished hereStopping violence at football matches requires a shift in police thinking, from ‘parking the bus’ to ‘gegenpressing’.
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Hester R, 'Who should pay for the policing of football? Evidence-based progressive change for Special Police Service football policing in England and Wales', (2023)
AbstractPublished hereThis thesis provides an original contribution through analysing the interplay between Special Police Services (SPS) and the policing of football in England and Wales. A 2017 ruling from Ipswich Town Football Club Co Ltd v Chief Constable of Suffolk Constabulary restricted the area that police forces can cost recover through (SPS) from the policing of events. According to data produced in 2019 by South Yorkshire Police, the cost of policing football in England and Wales is £48 million, with only £5.5 million cost recovered by police forces through SPS. With seemingly no scrutiny, this figure was accepted in Parliamentary debate as factual. This thesis utilised Freedom of Information (FOI) data to establish the true cost of football policing, as well as semi-structured interviews with police officers, football club representatives and other key stakeholders linked to football policing in England and Wales. This research shows that the existing data on the cost of policing football is inaccurate, with £48 million likely being an overestimate, and the amount being recovered through SPS averaging around £10 million over recent seasons. Furthermore, SPS negotiations between football clubs and police forces are shown to cause hostility and create difficult relationships between football clubs and police forces, potentially compromising safety. Stewarding of football was found to need greater professionalisation. Whilst, police resourcing of football was found to be risk averse, with fixtures being over resourced with public order policing assets and a lack of utilisation of specialist football resources. This research calls for more liaison based policing of football, using fewer but more specialist resourcing. It is argued that the catalyst for change should be the abolition of SPS, as the police service role in policing football needs reframing.
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Hester, Richard, '“They stand there looking really bored and p***ed off”: analysing efficient police resourcing at football matches in England and Wales', (2023)
AbstractFootball policing in England and Wales is a key area of activity for the police service, with a reported £48m being spent each season on policing football. There is a reported increase in football related disorder following the Covid-19 pandemic, and calls for more police resources to be deployed to football. Using qualitative semi-structured interviews, this research triangulates views from Dedicated Football Officers (DFOs); football club representatives; and other key stakeholders for policing football in England and Wales. The research shows multiple examples of ineffective and inefficient police resourcing at football matches. There is a greater emphasis on utilisation of public order units, which comes at great cost for the taxpayer, as well as football clubs. Here, it is argued that a focus on more specialised resources for policing football, such as spotters, will lead to better outcomes in terms of preventing crime and improving relations with football supporter communities.
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Hester R, 'A slippery subject: European eel trafficking in criminology teaching', (2023)
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Hester R, 'The impact of austerity measures on the resourcing of football policing and applications for football banning orders in England & Wales', (2022)
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Hester, Richard, 'A solution to pitch invasions at football matches: social crime prevention, not “more policing”', (2022)
Published here -
Hester R, Hobson J, 'The true cost of policing football in England & Wales: Freedom of Information data from 2015-2019', (2022)
AbstractIn 2019, the reported cost of policing football, according to an infographic on South Yorkshire Police’s website, was £48 million per season with £5.5 million being recovered by the police from football clubs. These figures were discussed in Parliament and deemed accurate by politicians. Chief Constable Mark Roberts, National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for football policing, says police forces cannot continue to subsidise a multi-billion-pound industry. This research uses Freedom of Information requests submitted to all police forces in England and Wales, to establish the true cost of football policing. The results demonstrate that previous data is unreliable, as the actual amount recovered through Special Police Services from football clubs averaged £10 million per season between 2015 to 2019. This paper shows that police forces do not have a grasp of how much is spent on football policing, and the £48 million headline figure is likely overestimated, raising concerns about the lack of transparency over the data in the South Yorkshire Police infographic. Finally, the paper calls for further research to establish the exact cost of football policing, and consideration of more efficient methods of football policing that can help to reduce costs and prevent disorder.
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Hester R, Pamment N, 'A slippery subject: European eel trafficking in criminology teaching', (2022)
Published here -
Hester R, 'The true cost of policing football in England & Wales: Freedom of Information data from 2015-2019', (2022)
AbstractIn 2019, the reported cost of policing football, according to an infographic on South Yorkshire Police’s website, was £48 million per season with £5.5 million being recovered by the police from football clubs. These figures were discussed in Parliament and deemed accurate by politicians. Chief Constable Mark Roberts, National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for football policing, says police forces cannot continue to subsidise a multi-billion-pound industry. This research uses Freedom of Information requests submitted to all police forces in England and Wales, to establish the true cost of football policing. The results demonstrate that previous data is unreliable, as the actual amount recovered through Special Police Services from football clubs averaged £10 million per season between 2015 to 2019. This paper shows that police forces do not have a grasp of how much is spent on football policing, and the £48 million headline figure is likely overestimated, raising concerns about the lack of transparency over the data in the South Yorkshire Police infographic. Finally, the paper calls for further research to establish the exact cost of football policing, and consideration of more efficient methods of football policing that can help to reduce costs and prevent disorder.
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Hester R, 'The true cost of policing football in England & Wales: Freedom of Information data from 2015-2019', (2022)
AbstractIn 2019, the reported cost of policing football, according to an infographic on South Yorkshire Police’s website, was £48 million per season with £5.5 million being recovered by the police from football clubs. These figures were discussed in Parliament and deemed accurate by politicians. Chief Constable Mark Roberts, National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for football policing, says police forces cannot continue to subsidise a multi-billion-pound industry. This research uses Freedom of Information requests submitted to all police forces in England and Wales, to establish the true cost of football policing. The results demonstrate that previous data is unreliable, as the actual amount recovered through Special Police Services from football clubs averaged £10 million per season between 2015 to 2019. This paper shows that police forces do not have a grasp of how much is spent on football policing, and the £48 million headline figure is likely overestimated, raising concerns about the lack of transparency over the data in the South Yorkshire Police infographic. Finally, the paper calls for further research to establish the exact cost of football policing, and consideration of more efficient methods of football policing that can help to reduce costs and prevent disorder.
-
Hester R, '"It's become fashionable": Practitioner perspectives on football hooliganism involving young people.', (2020)
AbstractSenior officers responsible for policing football highlight a concerning increase in football hooliganism involving young people in England and Wales. This study is specifically concerned with people under 18 years old that are engaged with hooliganism in connection with football matches, which is an under-researched problem despite recent high-profile incidents. Surveys and interviews with football club safety officers, and police officers involved in football policing were conducted to gain a first-hand insight into this issue. Freedom of Information requests were sent to the Home Office, to establish data trends in youth arrests, banning orders and disorder at football. Despite the concerns of senior police officers, it was found that there is no readily available Home Office data on football hooliganism involving young people. The study highlights that this issue is perceived to be increasing, with children as young as 10 being involved. Whilst there is some indication that football banning orders are being used on under 18s, this is currently seen as a last resort for police forces with a range of interventions being used in order to divert young people away from football hooliganism. However, there is no nationally adopted approach to managing this issue. Youth projects have had successful results in preventing under 18s from going on to reoffend in a football context. Best practice interventions are recommended, which if adopted by football clubs and police forces may help to minimise the impact of football violence involving young people.
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Hobson J, Payne B, Hester R, 'Findings from the Restorative Practices Knowledge Exchange', (2019)
AbstractThis presentation was given at the Restorative Justice Council national conference on 18th November, 2019. It details key learning from the Restorative Practices Knowledge Exchange, which took place at Ulster University between 2nd and 4th April, 2019. The event was jointly organised by the University of Gloucestershire and Ulster University and brought together restorative practitioners, associated organisations and academics from Northern and Southern Ireland, England, and Sierra Leone. The presentations considers a range of the issues discussed across the three-days, focusing on the challenges and opportunities faced in developing and providing restorative services. This includes: the differences between top-down, police-led, services and bottom-up, community-led, services; using restorative approaches in Education and Youth Justice; the role of Restorative practice in Prisons & Housing; and the suitability of restorative practice in cases of Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse.
Professional information
Memberships of professional bodies
British Society of Criminology
European Society of Criminology
Advance HE Fellowship
Conferences
European Society of Criminology - Malaga, Spain, September 2022
Policing and Society - Akureyri, Iceland, October 2022
European Society of Criminology - Florence, Italy, September 2023