Analysis

FEATURE: The widespread UK public disorder fuelled by online hate and misinformation in the wake of the murder of three young girls led to the jailing of a number of people for stirring up racial hatred in online messages; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the HATEDEMICS initiative which uses artificial intelligence to hamper the spread of hate speech, disinformation and conspiracy theories.

ANALYSIS: Trust in politics and public bodies has decreased in many countries over recent years, and the UK is no exception; but new research has highlighted that trust in British institutions – particularly policing – among ‘Generation Z’ (those born between 1997 and 2012) is significantly lower in the UK than in other countries studied, as Dr Paolo Morini, Research Fellow at the King’s College London Policy Institute, explains.

FEATURE: As the latest New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey reveals strong levels of trust and confidence in New Zealand Police, Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons spoke to Assistant Commissioner Bruce O’Brien, the force’s Senior Liaison Officer for the UK, Europe, Middle East and Africa, about the importance of delivering on core aims, the need to “get the basics right”, and how social media and crime trends can impact on public perception.

ANALYSIS: Fraud makes up nearly 40% of all crime in England and Wales, but fewer than 1% of cases result in a conviction. With the National Fraud Strategy more than a year old and a new government in place at Westminster, Ian Weinfass spoke to experts to find out whether it is time for action against fraudsters to be stepped up.

ANALYSIS: The changing nature of the modern terrorist threat has meant that the UK government’s response has also had to evolve; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the background to the UK’s CONTEST strategy, it’s political and policing inputs and implications, and how the strategy has evolved to meet that changing threat.

ANALYSIS: Following a series of highly critical reports, Canada’s Public Safety Minister recently announced the separation of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s (RCMP) federal policing portfolio from its contract policing responsibilities; Policing Insight’s Matthew Wood looks at the country’s complex policing structure, challenges currently facing the force, and what the changes could mean for the RCMP.

INTERVIEWS: Ahead of September’s Global Evidence-Based Policing (EBP) Conference, Mark Evans, NZ Police Executive Lead for Future Policing and the Vice-President of the Australia New Zealand Society of Evidence-Based Policing, spoke to fellow EBP pioneers about the growth, opportunities and challenges around the approach; in this first of two features, he looks at advice for agencies embarking on EBP, and where should efforts be focused – leaders, front-line officers, or both?

FEATURE: Large-scale events such as the annual Eurovision Song Contest are a key part of the modern cultural fabric, and require complex co-ordination to overcome traditional and emerging threats; Dr Rebecca Phythian and Dr Michael Smith of Edge Hill University researched the multi-agency approaches to the Eurovision events in Liverpool and Malmö, interviewing partners including police, local authorities and event organisers to identify key learning for future events.

ANALYSIS: The public disorder that took place across cities and towns in the UK at the start of August was the worst seen for several years, and prompted concerns over the police ability to respond, and the tactics employed; Policing Insight’s Graham Wettone, a former police officer and a subject matter expert on public order and protest groups, looks at the events of the past month, the evolution of public order policing, and what other options may be available to forces.

ANALYSIS: Although police departments across the United States have taken steps in recent years to improve relations with the LGBTQ community, new research suggests that LGBTQ people experience more mistreatment by police, have lower levels of trust in law enforcement, and are less likely to call for help, than their non-LGBTQ counterparts, says Stefan Vogler, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

FEATURE: Against the backdrop of the recent foiled terror plot to attack the Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, Policing Insight’s Andy Staniforth looks at the latest EU counter-terrorism project designed to strengthen the protection of public spaces from attacks and major violent incidents, and mitigate their impact.

INTERVIEW: Following the publication of the recent UK violence against women and girls (VAWG) National Policing Statement, ACC Sam Millar, Strategic Programme Director of the VAWG Taskforce, spoke to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons about re-shaping the service to victims, the need for greater collaboration and a whole system approach, and the importance of supporting front-line staff investigating often high-harm offences.  

INTERVIEW: After the launch of the first Police Race Action Plan Progress Report, Policing Insight’s Ian Weinfass spoke to Programme Director, Temporary Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dr Alison Heydari, about losing the support of a key staff association, institutional racism, and the future of the race action plan in the face of funding uncertainties.

OPINION: Amid concerns that the recent riots in the UK were fuelled by misinformation spread on social media, some have questioned whether the Online Safety Act passed last year needs to be revisited; however, Associate Professor Dr Olivia Brown and Postdoctoral Researcher Dr Alicia Cork of the University of Bath argue that with parts of the Act not due to come into effect until late 2024, the effectiveness of the legislation won’t be fully understood until it has been tested in another situation like the recent riots.

ANALYSIS: Faced with austerity cuts, the Metropolitan Police opted for a programme of station closures rather than reducing officer numbers; recent research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies suggest the approach has led to more violent crime and lower rates of solved cases and crime reporting, as report author Professor Elisa Facchetti explained to Policing Insight’s James Sweetland.

ANALYSIS: Many cities and towns across the US facing worrying levels of gun violence are turning to the ShotSpotter gunshot detection technology to help tackle the problem; however, research carried out by Northeastern University Professor Dr Eric Piza indicates that while the new tech can improve the response time to firearms incidents, it has no impact on enforcement levels, clear-up rates, or reducing victimisation.

OPINION: With falling trust and confidence in UK policing increasingly a matter for public debate and media headlines, University of Hull Policing Degree Programme Director and former officer Mike McKue looks more closely at the some of the reasons behind the decline, the definitions and differences between the two terms, and what can be done to address the issues.

FEATURE: Recent riots across many towns and cities in the UK saw a number of mosques targeted by violent protestors; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the situation facing both faith communities and the police in the UK, as well as the European project established by a collaboration of police forces looking to improve safety and security measures for places of worship.

ANALYSIS: The riots and public disorder which have affected towns and cities across the UK during recent weeks took place against a backdrop of populist politics and a change in protest tactics; Dr Wendy Laverick, Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Policing at the University of Hull, and Wrexham Glyndwr University Visiting Professor of Criminology Dr Peter Joyce, explore the political background to the disorder, the protest tactics of the far right, and possible solution to this and other disorder in the future.

INTERVIEW: The first Police Now counter-terrorism (CT) graduate scheme officially launched earlier this year, with new officers set to enter CT roles within the Metropolitan Police in just two years; in the second of a two-part series, Policing Insight’s James Sweetland spoke with trainees on the programme to find out what attracted them to Police Now, their perceptions of policing, and what new skills they think they can offer CT policing.

FEATURE: Crimes in the metaverse may be taking place in a virtual reality, but their impact can be felt in the real world; Griffith University Lecturer Dr Ausma Bernot, Lecturer Dr Kai Lin of the University of Technology Sydney, Charles Sturt University Lecturer Dr Milind Tiwari, and Assistant Lecturer You Zhou of Monash University, explore what ‘metacrimes’ are, and what steps can be taken to tackle them.

FEATURE: Officers across England and Wales investigating complex child sexual abuse and exploitation cases have been encouraged to access free specialist advice and support from the national Hydrant Programme during their investigations, to improve the outcomes for victims and survivors, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

ANALYSIS: The recent public disorder in the UK that has left more than 100 police officers injured and communities in towns and cities badly damaged has been labelled as ‘far-right thuggery’ by the Government and ‘far-right riots’ in the media; but Professor Chris Allen of the University of Leicester warns that labelling such protests as ‘far right’ could be inaccurate, misleading, and potentially counter-productive.

ANALYSIS: UK policing in the 21st century faces a raft of complex challenges, but officers are rarely asked for their own views on what they are and how they should be tackled; new research based on a series of in-depth interviews with experienced UK officers, carried out by Dr Rasha Kassem, Senior Lecturer at Aston University, and Major Dr Engin Erken, Lecturer at Turkey’s Gendarmerie and Coast Guard Academy, identified the key challenges officers face, and their suggestions on how they could be solved.