Prestigious award for College of Policing director Rachel Tuffin
College of Policing director Rachel Tuffin has been awarded the inaugural Lawrence W. Sherman Prize at the National Evidence-Based Policing Awards 2025.
She founded the College’s What Works Centre for Crime Reduction and has led national efforts to embed evidence-based practice across policing.
The Sherman Prize, named after Cambridge University Professor Sherman, a global pioneer in evidence-based policing, recognises individuals who have made transformative contributions to policing through research, innovation, and leadership.
The award was presented to Rachel by Professor Sherman during a ceremony held at the University of Huddersfield last week. The judging panel included two Society of Evidence Based Policing trustees, founder Alex Murray and Ben Linton, a former police officer.
Ms Tuffin, who is currently on a career break from her role as director of the college’s Centre for Police Productivity, said: “I’m delighted to accept this award in recognition of the hard work of the team at the College of Policing, and all those in policing who love finding out what works.
“I’d particularly like to pay tribute to two colleagues we lost this past year and sorely miss, Dr Nicky Miller and Dr Jo Wilkinson. Amongst their many contributions, I’m grateful for the time they dedicated to supporting individual police officers and staff to do their own research, and to building up partnerships between police and universities to help share what works.”
Sir Andy Marsh, chief executive officer of the College of Policing, said: “Rachel’s outstanding commitment and public service have had a transformative impact on her colleagues and the whole of policing. Her leadership in evidence-based practice has also helped shape the future of policing in the UK.
“We thank her for her tireless dedication, her integrity, and her unwavering belief in the power of research to cut crime. She fully deserves this prestigious award, and on behalf of myself and her many friends and colleagues, I’d like to congratulate her.”
The ceremony formed part of the National Evidence-Based Policing Conference, which brought together senior officers, academics, policymakers, and international experts to explore how research and data improves policing outcomes.