FEATURE: The work of the European PACTESUR2 project to improve the protection of public spaces has led to the creation of a new EU-POLNET, a European network of more than 20 local police forces that aims to develop local forces’ expertise and promising practices through peer-to-peer exchanges, as Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth reports.

INNOVATION: With the recent Counter-Terrorism Preparedness Network report focusing on the security benefits and challenges of artificial intelligence (AI), Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at some of the key issues raised by the report, as well as the work of the EU’s PRECRISIS initiative in establishing compliance frameworks around the use of AI in security contexts, which ensure that ethical standards, data privacy and personal rights can be maintained.

INNOVATION: With jurisdictions across the world looking at ways to tackle the threat of deepfakes – particularly those of a sexually explicit nature – Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the work of the AVALANCHE project in developing new tools and techniques to address the issue, as well as the wider impact of the Strengthened Security Research and Innovation area of the Horizon Europe programme for security.

INTERVIEW: Nauris Paulins, Innovation and Digital Transformation Adviser at the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of Latvia, recently spoke to Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth about the work of the unit, its role within the European NOTIONES Project, and how the FIU’s involvement in this and other research and innovation projects benefits both policing in Latvia and forces further afield.

FEATURE: In the wake of the trial and conviction of a Nazi ‘virtual’ terrorist cell in Sheffield for planning attacks on mosques and synagogues in England, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the lessons learned from the European PROTECTOR initiative, which highlighted the importance of collaboration and co-operation between law enforcement, faith communities, local authorities and other partners in improving the security of religious sites and places of worship.

FEATURE: In the wake of the cyberattack on Marks & Spencer – one of several targeting British retailers in recent months – Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the lesson that can be learned, and how organisations in both the private and public sector will need to move towards new forms of mitigating risk and ensuring resilience to protect against similar threats in the future.

FEATURE: A report commissioned by the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner and published earlier this month highlights an increasing number of potential modern slavery victims who are refusing to consent to a referral by first responders to the National Referral Mechanism; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at why more people are choosing alternative avenues for support, and what the report’s authors say should be done to address the problem.

FEATURE: At a time when scrutiny of policing has never been greater, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the work of the European PRECRISIS initiative to tackle insider threats, and how this impacts and influences the vetting and ongoing insider risk safeguarding of police officers and staff.

FEATURE: Following last month’s Royal Assent of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 – known as Martyn’s Law – Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the background to the new legislation and the key measures it will include, as well as highlighting the long delays in bringing the much-needed new powers into play.

FEATURE: With the three-year European PERIVALLON initiative – which aims to build a better intelligence picture of organised environmental crime, and develop tools and solutions to combat it – drawing to a close later this year, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the work of the project so far, and what more needs to be done by law enforcement and others to tackle the problem.

FEATURE: Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the continuing growth in pharmaceutical crime, highlighted by a recent Europol report which suggests that the proliferation in fake and sub-standard medicines prompted by Covid-19 has continued and expanded since the end of the pandemic, with co-operation and intelligence sharing among police and the private sector one of the key steps to tackling the crime.

INNOVATION: With the European Union’s draft Civil Security for Society Work Programme 2025 – which attracts significant funding from the Horizon Europe programme – already available online, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the opportunities for police forces in the UK, New Zealand and Canada to form consortia and submit innovative proposals tackling issues ranging from AI-driven cybersecurity to crime prevention and crisis response.

FEATURE: Last month the Spanish Council of Ministers adopted draft legislation that could introduce punitive fines for tech companies who fail to correctly label artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content, in a bid to tackle ‘deepfakes’; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the aims of the bill, as well as the impact more widely of the European Union’s AI Act, which could have significant implications both for tech companies and for the police use of AI.

INTERVIEW: With terrorist and extremist groups looking increasingly to online platforms as a way to radicalise internet users – particularly young people – the European Commission’s Prevention of Radicalisation Unit is working hard to counter their activities; in this second in a two-part interview, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth spoke to Unit Policy Officer Friederike Wegener about the EC’s efforts to tackle the online terror threat, the role and impact of legislation, and the challenges of the future.

INTERVIEW: With terrorist and extremist groups looking increasingly to online platforms as a way to radicalise internet users – particularly young people – the European Commission’s Prevention of Radicalisation Unit is working hard to counter their activities; in this first in a two-part interview, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth spoke to Unit Policy Officer Friederike Wegener about her work with the team, the priorities of her role, and the current online terrorist threat.

INTERVIEW: Tecnalia, the largest centre of applied research and technological development in Spain and a member of the Basque Research and Technology Alliance, is a partner in the NOTIONES project, a European network bringing police agencies together to improve the capacity and capability of intelligence functions; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth spoke to Tecnalia Project Manager Olatz Ibáñez about the organisation’s work with the NOTIONES network, and the benefits and challenges of participating in European security research and innovation projects.

FEATURE: Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the work of AFRIPOL (the African Union Mechanism for Police Co-operation AFRIPOL) – which has a mandate to strengthen co-operation between the police agencies of the African Union (AU) – and its recent successes in collaborating with INTERPOL to tackle terrorism in East Africa.

FEATURE: With the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) making the technology both more available and easier to use, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at law enforcement efforts to tackle AI-generated online child sexual abuse material – including last month’s success of Operation Cumberland, involving European, UK, Australian and New Zealand forces – as well as EU steps to tackle other damaging AI-generated online content.

FEATURE: Last month saw joint calls from the National Police Chiefs’ Council, College of Police and Counter-Terrorism Policing for UK policing to be given more freedom to share details around investigations that could help to quell the online misinformation fuelling violence and disorder; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the challenges around sharing of information, as well as the artificial intelligence tools that can help to tackle misinformation.

FEATURE: Recognising the threat posed by terrorist content online (TCO), the European Commission first presented legislation to tackle the problem in 2018, with the EU TCO Regulations coming into force in June 2022; now the work of three projects – set up to help hosting service providers (HSPs) meet the risk to European security – has reached fruition, offering HSPs a wealth of guidelines, training tools and other resources, as Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth reports.

INTERVIEW: Dr Lella Nouri, Associate Professor of Criminology at Swansea University and Co-Director of the Cyber Threats Research Centre (CYTREC), has pioneered the StreetSnap to enable councils, local police and their partners to better record, utilise and remove hateful graffiti, and the Flip the Streets initiative involving community members in co-producing artwork to replace instances of hateful visuals, as she explained to Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth.

FEATURE: The guilty plea and sentencing last month of 18-year-old Axel Rudakubana for the horrific murders of three young girls in Southport in July have prompted fresh debate about whether existing UK terrorism legislation is fit for purpose; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks back at how the current laws came into place, and what changes could mean for the definitions of ‘terrorism’ and ‘terrorist’.

FEATURE: The trial of the architect of the 9/11 terror attacks was halted again last month, after the US government blocked a plea deal that would have seen Khalid Sheikh Mohammed escape the death penalty; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks back at the planning of what was described as “the most egregious criminal act on American soil in modern history”, and why the trial of the man who has admitted masterminding those events has still not come to conclusion 23 years later.

FEATURE: The recent wildfires sweeping across Southern California highlight the importance of efficient and effective disaster management; in the wake of this tragedy, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the latest European initiative to harness the benefits of drone technology to provide disaster management agencies and first responders including police with up-to-date and accurate information that can improve resilience, response and recovery in the face of such catastrophes.