INTERVIEW: Metropolitan Police Commander Dr Alison Heydari, the UK’s national lead on out-of-court disposals, is looking to rebrand the sanctions to reduce reoffending, address offender needs and improve public trust, confidence and legitimacy, as she explained to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons in this second part of her recent interview.

INTERVIEW: Metropolitan Police Commander Dr Alison Heydari is the UK’s most senior black female officer, leading for the force on neighbourhood policing and nationally on out-of-court disposals; in the first in a two-part interview, she spoke to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons about the importance for leaders of listening to staff, the need to recognise and praise work done well, and the vital role of resilience in coping with change.

FEATURE: A Northamptonshire initiative has seen growing numbers of community carers trained to recognise the dangers of doorstep scams and prevent their elderly clients from becoming victims of fraud, burglaries and other opportunist crimes, as Policing Insight Contributing Editor Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: A new review by the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody has called for closer partnerships between policing, health and other criminal justice agencies to address mental health issues and help to prevent deaths in custody as well as suicides after release from police custody, as Policing Insight Contributing Editor Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: While many law enforcement organisations around the world are facing challenges over legitimacy and community confidence, a new survey of Ireland’s An Garda Síochána has revealed increased public trust levels in the force of more than 90%, and a widespread belief that the organisation is well-managed and effective at tackling crime, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: Leading police researcher Professor Tom Kirchmaier recently urged police chiefs to “rethink” their stance on double crewing to protect officers and provide a better public service, while improving response times to have a “significant” impact on detection and clearance rates, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: Australia’s Queensland Police, like many other forces around the world, deal with worrying levels of domestic violence on a daily basis, with many incidents carried out by repeat offenders; but the introduction of a simple text messaging initiative to remind those subject to protection orders about the behaviour conditions they are required to follow has seen a significant drop in repeat offences and an associated reduction in costs, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: Reporting a crime or seeking help from police can be a challenge for anyone, but for those who have difficulty communicating it can be particularly tough; Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons spoke to Victoria Police and Scope Australia about a new accreditation programme that reassures those with disabilities while ensuring officers have the skills and training to overcome communications challenges.

FEATURE: An 800-strong UK policing team has been assembled to offer rapid response support to British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean in the event of powerful hurricanes hitting the island communities in the future, as Policing Insight Contributing Editor Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: A new report from Europol has highlighted some of the policing and legislation challenges posed by the emergence of the metaverse, and warned that failing to ‘stay abreast’ of the new technology will leave law enforcement playing catch-up in the same way it has been forced to do with digitally enabled crime, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: While the latest workplace survey of New Zealand Police’s officers and staff has found that most still feel the force is a great place to work, more than a third having experienced bullying or harassment in the past year – prompting Commissioner Andrew Coster to call for a ‘reset’ of the working environment after two years of unprecedented Covid challenges, as Policing Insight Contributing Editor Sarah Gibbons reports.

INTERVIEW: The culture of policing continues to be a matter of international discussion, and global law enforcement leaders gathered in Dublin over the summer to move the debate forward; An Garda Síochána Deputy Commissioner Shawna Coxon spoke to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons about the issues discussed in Dublin, and how they will feed into efforts to address cultural change, starting with a leaders workshop at this weekend’s International Association of Chiefs of Police conference.

INTERVIEW: Former UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner Dame Sara Thornton has called for an increase in the number of trained financial investigators following the money to identify the organised crime groups behind modern slavery, and better collaboration between government departments to support children caught up in county lines, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

ANALYSIS: A new report has highlighted the disadvantages faced by those who are neurodivergent in their dealing with the police, courts, prisons and the wider criminal justice system, and has called for more training for frontline workers in understanding the effect on behaviour of conditions such as ADHD, learning difficulties and acquired brain injury, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: Edmonton Police Service are leading on a partnership approach to providing a wide range of support services for individuals coming into regular contact with frontline officers, a programme which has seen significant reductions in police contact and criminal behaviour post-intervention, as Policing Insight Contributing Editor Sarah Gibbons reports.

INTERVIEW: The period of mourning and subsequent state funeral for HM Queen Elizabeth II involved one of the UK’s largest ever policing operations at multiple locations; Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi, who led Operation London Bridge, spoke to Policing Insight Contributing Editor Sarah Gibbons about the scale and complexity of the operation, the pride and professionalism of officers and staff, and the “hidden heroes” behind the scenes.

ANALYSIS: A ‘whole of government approach’ to human trafficking in Australia, which combines awareness raising with a focus on support for victims and an understanding of their complex needs, has led to a significant increase in the number of victims identified across a wide range of modern slavery-related crimes including forced marriage, forced labour, sexual exploitation and organ trafficking, as Policing Insight Contributing Editor Sarah Gibbons reports.

ANALYSIS: New research has highlighted the need for a fresh approach to the risk assessment and management of registered sex offenders (RSOs), based on rapport rather than traditional investigative interviewing techniques; Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons spoke to Dr Leona Mydlowski about her review findings, the recommendations for a rethink of training, and why the focus should move from previous offences to what RSOs need to prevent future reoffending.

ANALYSIS: New research into the experiences of youngsters involved in county lines drugs in the UK has found that a lack of effective safeguarding or guidance, a focus on enforcement rather than prevention, and a shortfall in police resources is leaving vulnerable youngsters at growing risk of criminal exploitation by organised gangs, as Policing Insight Contributing Editor Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: The latest HM Inspectorate review of call handling at Police Scotland – a function that’s been the subject of five reports since the tragic deaths of two members of the public in 2015 – has highlighted impressive progress in the service’s contact model, but has called for better links with other public sector agencies to ease the response burden on policing, as Policing Insight’s Contributing Editor Sarah Gibbons reports.

ANALYSIS: A recent research report into the police use of body-worn video, published by the University of Stirling and commissioned by Police Scotland, highlights the opportunities for the service to develop best practice incorporating the experience of other forces, and implement governance and accountability measures that will help to ensure public trust and confidence, as Policing Insight Contributing Editor Sarah Gibbons reports.

INTERVIEW: A recent survey highlighted issues around harassment and a “toxic” working environment for some members of the Toronto Police Service, as well as opportunities to address those issues and rebuild trust within the organisation; Toronto Police Association President Jon Reid spoke to Policing Insight Contributing Editor Sarah Gibbons about the findings of the survey, the challenges for both uniform and civilian staff, and the importance of creating a safe and comfortable workplace.

INTERVIEW: NPCC National Drugs Co-ordinator Mark Lay believes the Government’s 10-year, multi-agency drug strategy, with its focus on cross-sector data sharing and wrap around support for addicts, together with programmes to tackle recreational drug use and target those areas affected worst by the drugs trade, leave the UK in ‘one of the best positions in more than 30 years’, as he told Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

FEATURE: With more than 240,000 legitimate firearms holders among New Zealand’s five million population, and a large hunting community, previous attempts to tighten firearms licensing have been met with long and loud opposition; but plans for a new gun registry to target firearms criminality have gathered pace in the wake of the Christchurch massacre, and will come into effect next year, as Policing Insight Contributing Editor Sarah Gibbons reports.