Psychology in Policing and Public Safety
Welcome to PIPPS Lab
Associate Professor Jacqueline Drew leads the Psychology in Policing and Public Safety (PIPPS) Lab located at Brisbane South (Nathan) Campus, Griffith University.
The Lab delivers innovative and cutting-edge research and evidence-based programs focused on police and public safety personnel and organisations. We understand the impacts of trauma and critical incidents and organisational and operational work environments on those who serve.
The PIPPS Lab is a collaborative hub, working with police and public safety agencies and allied stakeholders. We aim to be a force multiplier; applying evidence-informed and evidence-based methodologies to ‘the knowns and unknowns’ of police and public safety psychology.
People
Director
Associate Professor Jacqueline Drew is a police psychologist, holding a PhD in organisational psychology. She is a police scholar with the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice & Griffith Criminology Institute, Griffith University, Australia. Dr Drew has over 25 years of experience in law enforcement, as a practitioner and researcher beginning her career as a psychologist with the Queensland Police Service.
Dr Drew provides expert advice to law enforcement in Australia and across the United States. She researcher and delivers programs focused on organisational systems and personnel practices, including police mental health and suicide, leadership, promotion systems and women and policing.
Dr Drew is a lead investigator on two large federal research projects funded through the Australian Research Council (ARC). ARC Linkage project: An early warning system for police workplace health and performance [LP200200834] and ARC Discovery project: Innovation in police gender equity management: Looking back, moving forward [DP220102172].
Research Support
Chantal Chevroulet
Kelly Hankin
Stephanie Price
Khy Reid
Tristan Russell
Honours, Masters and HDR Students (Current)
Jack Biggs (School of Applied Psychology)
Tahlia Davies (School of Applied Psychology)
Christine Foley
Michael McGarry
Honours, Masters and HDR Students (Graduates)
Matthew Bishop
Allen Bradford (School of Applied Psychology)
Kelly Hankin (School of Applied Psychology)
Teegan Sihvola
Interested in Joining the Lab?
Interested in working with the Lab in a research capacity or research student?
Collaborators
National Fraternal Order of Police
Sherri Martin serves as National Director of Wellness Services for the National Fraternal Order of Police (NFOP). She leads the FOP National Officer Wellness Committee which is committed to assisting members with all facets of healthy living throughout a career in law enforcement.
Sherri works with Dr Jacqueline Drew (Director, PIPPS Lab) as the co-lead on the National Fraternal Order of Police (NFOP) Biennial Survey of Critical Issues in Policing, a nationwide survey of United States law enforcement officers and leaders. The survey give voice to the men and women of US law enforcement, providing them an opportunity to provide insights on the critical issues that are currently facing policing and how their mental health and wellness is impacted by serving in the police profession.
Sherri served most of her 23-year police career at the Charleston Police Department in South Carolina, where she achieved the rank of Lieutenant. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Counseling from the Citadel, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Sherri is licensed as a professional Counselor Associate in the state of Connecticut and has experience in trauma therapy work with military veterans.
30x30 Initiative
The 30×30 Initiative is based on evidence indicating the importance of achieving at least 30% representation to empower a group to influence an organization’s culture. It is a coalition of police leaders, researchers, and professional organizations who have joined together to support and advance the representation, experiences, and well-being of women in policing agencies across the United States and beyond.
Associate Professor Jacqueline Drew (Director, PIPSS Lab) is a Research Partner with the 30x30 Initiative. Dr Drew works with the 30x30 founders, Chief Ivonne Roman (ret.) of the Newark Police Department and Maureen McGough and Dr Tanya Meisenholder, the 30x30 Director of Police Research at the NYU School of Law's Policing Project and leader of the 30x30 Initiative.
Stress, Health, and Behaviour Lab
The Stress, Health, and Behaviour Lab is the research lab of Dr Jacob Keech, based in the School of Applied Psychology at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia. The Stress, Health, and Behaviour Lab investigates practical solutions to reduce the impact of stress on health. It seeks to identify psychological and behavioural mechanisms that contribute to stress-related outcomes and develop evidence-based interventions to support individuals in managing stress effectively. It also applies health behaviour change theories to design and evaluate interventions that support people to lead healthier lives.
Dr Keech works collaborates on several of the PIPSS Lab research projects and grants and is a valuable contributor to the design and delivery of many of the programs and training offered by the Lab. Notably, he has collaborated with Dr Jacqueline Drew (Director, PIPPS Lab) to design and facilitate the EMPOWER Workplace Wellbeing Program series.
Dr Jacob Keech is a Lecturer in Psychology in the School of Applied Psychology at Griffith University. Dr Keech is the Director of the Stress, Health, and Behaviour Lab, and a member of the Griffith Centre for Mental Health. Dr Keech has over 10 years of experience in conducting applied psychological research. His expertise is in the development and evaluation of intervention programs for reducing the effect of stress on physical and psychological health, and performance. Dr Keech has expertise and experience in conducting stress and wellbeing research in a range of contexts including with police officers, lifeguards, school teachers, flood rescue operators, and students. Dr Keech’s research also applies psychological theory to understanding and changing health behaviours (e.g., alcohol use, sleep hygiene, physical activity, food choices) and risky behaviours (swimming behaviours, driving behaviour during flood events) to improve health and safety.
Australian and New Zealand Society of Evidence Based Policing (ANSEBP)
The Australian and New Zealand Society of Evidence Based Policing (ANSEBP) comprises both full members (current, serving police officers in Australia and New Zealand) and honorary members including police staff members (non-sworn), research professionals and others who aim to make evidence based approaches part of everyday policing in Australia and New Zealand.
The Society is made up of police officers, police staff, and research professionals who aim to make evidence-based police practice part of everyday policing in Australia and New Zealand. The Society advocates that all aspects of policing including police patrols, investigations, crime prevention, human resource management, and all other forms of service delivery should be evaluated using sound, scientific methods and used when the evaluation evidence shows that the police practice works to control or prevent crime and disorder or enhance quality of life.
Associate Professor Jacqueline Drew (Director, PIPSS Lab) works collaboratively with the President of ANZSEBP, Superintendent David Cowan, Victoria Police and Vice President ANZSEBP, R. Mark Evans OBE. Their recent work has focused on gender equity in policing.
Get Involved
The PIPPS Lab has opportunities for police and public safety personnel and agencies to get involved in our research projects and programs.
You might want to get involved as a research/program participant or a research/program collaborator.
Check back here regularly to see what is happening and how you can get involved in our work.