Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Dr Megan McElhone is a Lecturer in Criminology in the School of Social Sciences and the Director of the Bachelor of Criminology.
Megan researches policing, race, and racism. Her PhD thesis, completed in the Faculty of Law at UNSW, examined the targeted policing of Middle Eastern people in Sydney. She is currently preparing a book on the same topic, provisionally titled Middle Eastern Crime: Orientalist Policing and Politics in Australia. Having previously held a lectureship at Birkbeck, University of London (2020-24), Megan has also taken up UK-focused projects regarding police institutional racism, the effects of austerity upon policing, and calls to defund the police.
In 2024, Megan received the Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology's Early Career Award in recognition of her article 'Gangland and Task Force Gain'. The same year, she was awarded a Visiting Fellowship at the Centre of Law and Society, Cardiff University.
Megan is also a member of the Editorial Review Board of Policing: An International Journal, and sits on the Advisory Board of the European Research Council-funded project RECEDE, which investigates the regulation and oversight of criminal justice custody.
Monash teaching commitment
Education/Academic qualification
Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, University of London
Award Date: 1 Nov 2022
Law, PhD, University of New South Wales (UNSW)
Award Date: 21 Aug 2019
Research area keywords
- Policing
- Race & Ethnicity
- Space & Place
- Security
- Decolonial Pedagogy
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities -
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
Projects
- 1 Active
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Evaluation of legal integration into the Alexis Family Violence Response Model
Pfitzner, N. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Woolley, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), McElhone, M. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Harris, B. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & McGowan, J. (Chief Investigator (CI))
2/02/26 → 26/02/27
Project: Research
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Policing the cost-of-living crisis in England and Wales: Neoliberalism, austerity and racism
McElhone, M., 2026, The Palgrave Handbook of Racial Injustice and Resistance. Anthony, T., Bhatia, M., Pillay, K. & Williams, J. M. (eds.). Cham Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, p. 369-396 28 p. (Palgrave Studies in Race, Ethnicity, Indigeneity and Criminal Justice).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (Book) › Research › peer-review
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Racial Justice and the Limits of Law: By B. Malkani (ed.), Bristol: Bristol University Press, 2024. 182 pp. £80.00 (hardback). £19.99 (paperback). ISBN: 978-1529230741
McElhone, M., Jun 2026, In: The Howard Journal of Crime and Justice. 65, 2, p. 240-241 2 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Short Review › Other › peer-review
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Book Review: A philosophical history of police power by Melayna Kay Lamb
McElhone, M., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Social and Legal Studies. 5 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Short Review › Other › peer-review
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Contending with Cronulla Riots revisionism, twenty years on
McElhone, M., Dec 2025, In: Overland. 258, 1 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Other › peer-review
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Sam Kerr verdict: what it means for law in the UK and the star athlete's soccer career
McElhone, M., 12 Feb 2025, 5 p. Vic Australia : The Conversation.Research output: Other contribution › Other
Open AccessFile
Prizes
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Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology Early Career Award
McElhone, M. (Recipient), 2024
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
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Institute of Australian Geographers Annual Conference 2025
McElhone, M. (Speaker)
4 Jul 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
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Hate Crime Perpetrators: The Effectiveness of Criminal Justice Responses
McElhone, M. (Speaker)
5 Jun 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
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Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology Annual Conference 2025
McElhone, M. (Speaker)
3 Dec 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
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‘If you give police more powers, they’ll use them’: The curious case of Knife Crime Prevention Orders
McElhone, M. (Invited speaker)
6 Nov 2024Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
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Cardiff University
McElhone, M. (Visiting academic)
2024 → 2025Activity: Visiting an external institution types › Visiting an external academic institution
Press/Media
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Twenty years after Cronulla Riots, policing's legacy raises new questions
10/12/25
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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Twenty years on, the police response to the Cronulla Riots continues to cast a shadow on western Sydney
7/12/25
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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ANZSOC Awards Spotlight: ANZSOC Early Career Researcher Award Winner Megan McElhone
2/04/25
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Profile/Interview
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Football Australia responds as Sam Kerr's teammate makes call on Matildas captaincy after verdict
12/02/25
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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