Analysis

ANALYSIS: The latest assessment of the new Single Online Home platform shows the digital contact channel has eased the pressure on police resources while speeding up the service to the public, and redirecting thousands of enquiries to more appropriate agencies, writes Keith Potter

ANALYSIS: Mobile CCTV surveillance has recently appeared in public spaces in Melbourne, as part of a joint initiative between councils, Victoria Police and the Commonwealth Government to target those breaking lockdown rules; Professor Rick Sarre asks whether such moves are legal, effective and acceptable.

ANALYSIS: Nic Pole, one of the authors of the College of Policing's recent Future Operating Environment 2040 report, explores the concept of 'futures thinking' as well as some of the key challenges and opportunities for UK policing over the next 20 years – and how the service will need to prepare for them.

ANALYSIS: With an apparent increasing disconnect between the American public and the police who serve them, is there any hope for a recovery in police legitimacy? Colin Rogers, Professor of Policing and Security at the University of South Wales discusses the requirements for police legitimacy and examines the experience in New Zealand.

ANALYSIS: Trial deployments of facial recognition technology by South Wales Police have been ruled unlawful by the Court of Appeal. The Consultation Institute Associate, Anna Collins, explores the role that public opinion could play in smoothing the way for future use of the technology.

ANALYSIS: AUSTRALIA: The wearing of facemasks as a protection against pollution was increasingly common in some countries even before the pandemic, and masks are now commonly worn by protesters to evade identification. Associate Professor Paul Haskell-Dowland of Edith Cowan University examines how facial recognition systems will need to adapt.

ANALYSIS: A quarter of all police officers in England & Wales now have less than five years’ service, and one in 10 is in their first year in the job; in the second of two articles examining the changing nature of the policing workforce, Ian Wiggett reveals the dramatic shift in length of service and experience, the risks and opportunities it creates, and how forces can respond.

UCL COVID-19 SERIES: Professor Graham Farrell from the University of Leeds, and Dr. Dan Birks from the University of Leeds and The Alan Turing Institute, analyse crime trends both during and post-lockdown and examine the Government's response to these shifting trends.

ANALYSIS: The coronavirus pandemic, the economic recession it has created, and the ongoing, uncertain impact of Brexit are three key challenges currently facing the UK and Europe; they also represent circumstances that – according to a recent Europol report – could enable organised crime groups to flourish, as Policing Insight's Andrew Staniforth explains.

ANALYSIS: While the most recent police workforce statistics in England & Wales show a steady rise towards the UK Government's 20,000 officer uplift target, the figures also reveal growing numbers of officers resigning from the job mid-service; in this first of two articles, Ian Wiggett explores the national and regional trends, their impact, and what forces can do about police officer retention.

ANALYSIS: In the wake of the recent sentencing of a far-right terrorist in New Zealand for the horrific Christchurch mosque attacks, Andrew Staniforth looks at efforts in the UK to ensure that places of worship, and those who use them, are protected from hate crimes and the threat of terrorism.

ANALYSIS: AUSTRALIA: A recent survey shows a growing number of Australians support the legalisation of cannabis, and almost three in five back the idea of pill testing; Jarryd Bartle, Sessional Lecturer at RMIT University, and Nicole Lee, Professor at the National Drug Research Institute at Curtin University, explore the survey results, and the potential lessons for policy makers.

UCL COVID-19 SERIES: In this latest article from the UCL Jill Dando Institute, Professor Nick Tilley looks at the damaging impact of fly-tipping, how the coronavirus lockdown is likely to have exacerbated the issue, and the steps that local authorities and others can take to tackle the problem.

ANALYSIS: In the second in a series of three articles on Canadian policing, Keith Taylor and Gail Stephens of consultants perivale+taylor explore police governance in Canada, and the structures, legislation, membership and challenges relating to police boards.

ANALYSIS: Hashem Abedi was recently jailed for at least 55 years – believed to be the highest minimum term ever handed out by a court in Britain – for his part in the Manchester Arena bombing. Andrew Staniforth highlights the growing concerns expressed about inadequate terrorist sentencing, the legislation designed to address the issue, and what more needs to be done.

UCL COVID-19 SERIES: In this latest article from the UCL Jill Dando Institute, Dr Manja Nikolovska and Professor Shane Johnson explore the surge in COVID-19-themed bio-assaults – coughing, sneezing and spitting – on key workers and members of the public.

UCL COVID-19 SERIES: In this latest article from the UCL Jill Dando Institute, Mariam Elgabry discusses the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the growing problem of bio-crime both in the UK and abroad.

ANALYSIS: Policing Insight contributor Sarah Gibbons outlines the findings of the latest report from the Commissioner for the Retention and Use of Biometric Material, highlighting the need for stronger governance and clarity on the use of biometrics technology.

ANALYSIS: The rise of adult services websites (ASWs) has opened up a new conduit for human traffickers to advertise the women they exploit. However, it's possible to spot characteristics in the profiles that may indicate that a sex worker has been trafficked. Dr Xavier L’Hoiry and Dr Alessandro Moretti of the University of Sheffield, and Professor Georgios Antonopoulos of Teesside University explain what might give such profiles away.

ANALYSIS: The lack of interoperability between police systems wastes taxpayers’ money and reduces effectiveness, says Coeus Software CEO Simon Hall. So how can police ICT escape from the silos of legacy systems?

ANALYSIS: A new report by the Revolving Doors Agency highlights the bias in the criminal justice system which leads to disproportionate numbers of young Black adults receiving cautions and convictions for low-level, non-violent crimes.

ANALYSIS: In the wake of the National Crime Agency's successful global operation against organised crime, Policing Insight contributor Andrew Staniforth discusses how law enforcement agencies are combatting the cartels and whether this is working.

UCL COVID-19 SERIES: Dr Kartikeya Tripathi and Professor Claudia Cooper from the UCL Jill Dando Institute examine how the risk of becoming a victim of cybercrime has increased for older people during lockdown and how this threat can be tackled.

ANALYSIS: Last week saw the release of Australia’s long-awaited Cyber Security Strategy, and a pledge to spend A$1.67 billion over the next decade. Damien Manuel, Director of the Centre for Cyber Security Solutions at Australia's Deakin University, looks at how the funding will be used – and who will be the main winners and losers.