The charity and think-tank has tasked Upward Curve PR with creating and implementing a comms strategy in light of the growing public profile of policing.
Upward Curve PR consultant Alan Ali said: ‘There’s a lot happening in policing at the moment, so the Police Foundation thinks it has a role to play. Policing is higher up in people’s minds at the moment.
‘There have been 50 acts of Parliament relating to changes in policing and the criminal justice system over the past decade, plus an increase in police numbers and the expansion of the policing family with things such as community support officers.’
The agency will help the foundation to promote its work in four areas: organised crime and counter-terrorism, neighbourhood policing, road traffic, and policing of children and young people.
The agency will also promote the charity’s annual John Harris Memorial lecture. The speaker for 2008 will be Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti.
Upward Curve will help the Police Foundation to promote a national debate on policing, subject to the foundation securing funding.
Upward Curve managing director Helen Ashley heads a team of three, reporting to the foundation’s director of development Ken Madine.
Founded in 1979 by the late Lord Harris of Greenwich, the Police Foundation provides a place where policymakers and interested parties can debate modern-day policing issues. It has influenced policing through research, policy analysis and consultancy.