Research Unit description:

Established in 2004, the Police Research Center (ICPOL) is composed of a heterogeneous body of researchers, most of whom are PhDs in different areas of knowledge. It includes researchers from the Institute of Police Sciences and Internal Security (ISCPSI), from units of the Public Security Police (PSP) and from several universities, both national and foreign.

From the point of view of the background of this body of researchers there is a great diversity that goes through Police Sciences, Social Sciences and Humanities, but also the scientific area of Sports. For all the above reasons, the Centre has a unique position as a police training academy and a research institution.

Supported by funds from the PSP budget and with the financial support of FCT, ICPOL also benefits for the development of the activity of the partnerships resulting from its participation in European research projects, including HORIZON 2020 and HORIZON EUROPE. Its international cooperation network includes, among the most relevant, AMERIPOL (The Police Community of the Americas), CEPOL (European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training), EUROPOL (European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation), INTERPOL (International Criminal Police Organization) and FRONTEX (European Border and Coast Guard Agency).

ICPOL develops a wide range of technical and scientific activities directed to the scientific community and to all those who are interested in (internal and transnational) security issues, through colloquiums, seminars, webinars, and congresses on these issues. This Research Centre publishes a biannual scientific journal – Politeia –, with double blind review, which can be freely accessed through https://politeia-online.pt/, doing justice to its motto: Ad Orbem Per Scientia.
Finally, ICPOL is also responsible for the management of a Documentation Centre open to the general community, which manages ISCPSI's RCAAP and acts as editor of the scientific work produced by PSP and is responsible for the annual publication of several books.
In October 2019, Intendant Roberto Fernandes was appointed Director of ICPOL, starting an internal process of reformulation of the R&D Unit, adjusting it to the new demands of the national scientific network. In March 2020, ICPOL became under the scientific coordination of PhD Paulo Machado, marking new breakthroughs.

Strategic Aims:
The goals are oriented towards the development of Police Sciences and other related sciences (e.g., Law, History, Sociology, Economy, Sports Sciences), through two axes of scientific activity: 1) Police issues-oriented research; 2) Programmatic research, regarding specific areas of knowledge identified as fundamental by ICPOL’s scientific coordination.