FEATURE: The significant increase in public protests and marches, particularly since the start of the current conflict in the Middle East, has brought with it accusations of a ‘two-tier’ approach to policing supporters; but as Policing Insight’s Graham Wettone – whose 30-year policing career included many large public order events – explains, while those different tiers, tactics and approaches exist, they are based on threat, risk, information and intelligence, rather than race, religion or political persuasion.

ANALYSIS: The ongoing demonstrations across the UK prompted by the Israel-Gaza conflict have reignited the debate about the police response to public protest; Policing Insight’s Graham Wettone, whose 30-year policing career included many large public order events, takes a closer look at the legislation governing protests, the guidance officers receive around intervention, and why the decision not to arrest during a protest may be justice wisely delayed rather than denied.

OPINION: The recent directive from UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman calling for a review of police officers’ political activism is the latest salvo in a much wider conversation about so-called ‘woke’ policing; Policing Insight’s Graham Wettone, a former long-serving police officer, looks at the origins of the term ‘woke’, its relevance to policing, and how the service has been affected by increased politicisation.

OPINION: In September 2022, Sir Mark Rowley came back into policing after some time away from the job at the end of a 30-year career, to take up one of the UK’s toughest roles as Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police; Policing Insight’s Graham Wettone, who served in the Met Police for 30 years, looks back over Sir Mark’s first year in post, and delivers an annual appraisal of how well the Commissioner has performed against his stated objectives.

ANALYSIS: As the Police Federation of England and Wales prepares to ballot its members on whether it should pursue industrial rights, Policing Insight’s Graham Wettone looks back at the history of police strikes and working to rule in the UK, the failure of successive governments to honour the independent pay award process, and why the current debate about whether police should take industrial action should be taken seriously by the Government.

FEATURE: Coverage of the recent State of Policing in England and Wales report focused in large part on HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary Andy Cooke’s warning that “public trust in the police is hanging by a thread”; but Policing Insight’s Graham Wettone believes other messages from the report around a “dysfunctional and defective” criminal justice system, a return to the “basics” of policing and the need for new policing priorities are equally important, but have been largely overlooked.

OPINION: This weekend’s coronation of HM King Charles III is likely to be the largest deployment in peace time of uniformed officers on the streets of London; Policing Insight’s Graham Wettone, who served in the Met Police for 30 years, looks at the challenges of the day – both for those policing the route, and for those maintaining public order and community safety away from the event – as well as the unique opportunity such an operation offers.

OPINION: The relationship between the police and the media has always been complex, but recent coverage of high-profile crimes involving officers, along with a raft of inquiries and reviews, has prompted concerns that the current reporting of law enforcement is negatively biased and contributing to the fall in public confidence; in the first of two Policing Insight opinion articles on the issue, former officer and regular ‘police commentator’ Graeme Wettone looks at how the relationship has changed – and what can be done to improve it.

ANALYSIS: The Public Order Bill making its way through the UK Parliament has attracted both support and criticism, with opponents highlighting concerns around new police powers in relation to protest techniques such as ‘locking on’ and tunnelling; Policing Insight’s Graham Wettone, a subject matter expert on public order policing, believes the Bill balances the right to protest with need for new laws to tackle the more disruptive actions of protestors.

FEATURE: Another new report into stop and search has called for major reform and the launch of a taskforce on the topic; Policing Insight’s Graham Wettone looks at the findings of the report, the context and application of existing powers, and how – in the absence of any viable alternative – police and communities could help to ensure that stop and search is used effectively to detect and prevent crime and increase community safety.

ANALYSIS: Senior UK police chiefs met with the Prime Minister and Home Secretary earlier this month to discuss the criminal activism in some recent protests, with Mr Sunak pledging to give police “whatever they need” in relation to additional powers; but Policing Insight’s Graham Wettone, a subject matter expert on public order policing and protest groups, believes more effective use of existing legislation, together with a stronger response from the criminal justice system, could bring greater benefits than new laws.

ANALYSIS: This month’s report by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services highlighted significant issues around the vetting of police officers – both new recruits and those already in service; as HMICFRS begins publishing individual force inspections on the same topic, Policing Insight’s Graham Wettone looks at the concerns highlighted by the original report, the recommendations for improvement, and what the service should be doing to protect policing and the public against potential misconduct and corruption.

OPINION: Recent protest activities in the UK – in particular those by the Just Stop Oil group – have prompted much debate about the effectiveness of the police response to such actions; Graham Wettone, who spent much of his policing career managing public order policing, highlights some key challenges in responding to the current protests, and why it may be time for a more robust approach to those groups unwilling to engage.

OPINION: Direct entry is a controversial topic, and has generated a lot of debate. While few would argue that those who have joined through the scheme are dedicated and sincere, policing commentator Graham Wettone argues that nothing can replace direct experience of policing - especially at Inspector level.