Virtual Volunteers: a solution looking for policing problems

Abstract This operational commentary describes an innovative approach to police volunteering that is currently being piloted in Wales, United Kingdom (UK). The programme, named Virtual Volunteers, is a partnership between students, academics, and administrative staff at the University of South Wales (USW) and Tarian (the Welsh word for ‘shield’), the Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) for the southern Welsh police forces. Students engage in the university intranet to review and answer policing problems posed to them by the ROCU. Such problems include romance fraud, AI-enabled crime, and money laundering. This initiative is untested and while it is currently subject to a number of evaluations it remains in an early developmental stage. The intention here therefore is to record the work that is ongoing, note the progress made in terms of the programme’s development and to recognize its limitations and potential. This commentary will also include some broader insights about the strengths and weaknesses of this form of volunteering.