One of Australia's top criminologists will present his predictions on the future face of policing in 2020 at a meeting at Goulburn Police Academy on Tuesday 25 July.

Director of Research at the Australian Institute of Criminology Dr Peter Grabosky will address researchers and students in Charles Sturt University's School of Policing Studies on the future of law enforcement in Australia.

Dr Grabosky's believes that by 2020, many in society will be willing to trade-off aspects of individual freedom to invest in greater personal safety.

"Many encroachments on our freedom will be aided by technological developments. The Internet, closed circuit television, drug testing and DNA sampling are already used in surveillance and crime control," Dr Grabosky said.

"Some people are untroubled by these technologies, regarding them as small inconveniences in return for feelings of security. Others flinch at the possibility that 1984 could soon be upon us."

Dr Grabosky expects that economic reforms and resulting changes in the public and private sectors could continue to create "winners" and "losers" in society.

"Many of the losers, particularly young, unskilled and uneducated males, may direct their frustrations at themselves, engaging in various self-destructive behaviours, or at others through personal violence. Some winners may seek an even bigger slice of the pie, being tempted to use illicit means to gain their slice."

Another future challenge for police services will be to manage increasing demand with limited resources, requiring greater adaptability and entrepreneurial thinking from the services. According to Dr Grabosky, police will need to collaborate with private security firms, Internet companies and specialists in such areas as forensic accounting and cryptography in fighting modern crime.

"The increased collaboration will open opportunities for private groups to be involved in crime control. Australia already has examples of this in investigations of insurance fraud by insurance company employees and of animal cruelty by the RSPCA," he said.

"Australians are celebrated for the 'fair go' and one challenge faced by law enforcement agencies and crime prevention planners in private and non-profit sectors is how to avoid greater levels of violence and theft in relatively less well-off communities than exist today."

Dr Grabosky is currently President of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology, Deputy Secretary-General of the International Society of Criminology, and a member of the Interorganizational Relations Committee of the American Society of Criminology. His area of expertise covers white-collar crime, criminal behaviours and risks associated with the new technologies. His expertise in these fields is sought after in Europe, the United States, Japan and China.

Dr Grabosky's presentation will start at 12 noon at the Goulburn Police Academy.