Interview

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.

INTERVIEW: As the European Commission DroneWISE innovation project comes to a close, Project Co-ordinator Dr Holger Nitsch spoke to Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth about the counter-drone training tools that are now available for emergency service responders to better plan and prepare a multi-agency response to a terrorist drone attack.

INTERVIEW: Often a target narcotic for law enforcement, MDMA is among a number of psychedelic drugs increasingly being used to treat US police officers and other first responders suffering from PTSD; Policing Insight’s Christine Townsend spoke to Lt Sarko Gergerian – a qualified psychotherapist and advocate of the approach – about his own experiences of receiving MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, which featured in a recent Netflix documentary.

INTERVIEW: In the latest in a series of interviews with leading figures involved in the research and investigation of organised crime, Policing Insight’s Chris Allen spoke to Roy McComb, organised crime consultant and former Deputy Director of the UK National Crime Agency, about the switch from terrorism to organised crime in Northern Ireland, the success of Project Aidant, and organised crime’s evolution in the cyber world.

INTERVIEW: In the latest in a series of interviews with leading figures involved in the research and investigation of organised crime, Policing Insight’s Chris Allen spoke to John M Sellar, author and former detective and UN wildlife crime specialist, about the route from Scottish cop to the UN, the need for transnational co-operation, and the difficulties of trying to overcome police and government corruption around the globe.

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.

INTERVIEW: With police officers across the country facing unprecedented pressure and demand, Thames Valley Police is looking to support its frontline by introducing a Behavioural Science Unit; Policing Insight’s Martin Buhagiar spoke to Superintendent Felicity Parker about the scale of the project and how it could reshape UK policing in the future.

INTERVIEW: A report by the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) has revealed significant growth in gun homicides and a proliferation of firearms, part-funded by Covid support fraud; Policing Insight’s Christine Townsend spoke to MCCA Executive Director Laura Cooper about the findings of the report, the threats posed by ghost guns and irresponsible owners, and why police arresting their way out of the crisis is unsustainable.

INTERVIEW: In the latest in a series of interviews with leading figures involved in the research and investigation of organised crime, Policing Insight’s Chris Allen spoke to Mark Shaw, Director of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GITOC), about the continuing growth of criminal use of the internet, the success of GITOC, and why a global vision is crucial in the fight against organised crime.

INTERVIEW: In the latest in a series of interviews with leading figures involved in the research and investigation of organised crime, Policing Insight’s Chris Allen spoke to Dr Seán Columb, Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Liverpool, about tackling the trafficking of human organs, the importance of labour protection and better healthcare, and the development of illicit trade around migrant routes.

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: Having policed the city for more than 30 years, San Antonio Police Department Assistant Chief Karen Falks has seen huge changes to the community and the policing role; she talked to Policing Insight’s Christine Townsend about the importance of open data in gaining public trust, the challenges of the ever-changing criminal landscape, and the millennial view of policing careers.

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.

INTERVIEW: It’s rare – if not unique – that a chief officer gets to build a sizeable new police department from scratch, setting out their vision, choosing their team, and implementing the latest processes and technologies; Policing Insight’s Christine Townsend spoke to Chief Norm Lipinski of Canada’s new Surrey Police Service about the combination of community focus and business acumen that he believes can build ‘a top-tier organization’.

INTERVIEW: Ahead of this week’s London Policing College workshop on policing public protest in Germany, keynote speaker Dr Bernd Bürger of the Bavarian Police Institute of Further Education spoke to Policing Insight’s Keith Potter about the importance of communication and negotiation in handling demonstrations, the need for officers and commanders to have expertise and experience, and the benefits of establishing full-time public order policing units.

INTERVIEW: The Capitol Building riots on 6 January 2021 were a dark day for US politics and an incredibly difficult one for policing, especially the officers of the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department; Department Chief Robert Contee spoke to Policing Insight’s Christine Townsend about the continuing impact of the insurrection, his pride and passion for his role, and the ongoing challenges of policing America’s capital city.

INTERVIEW: Against a backdrop of violent arrests and oppressive responses in the 1970s, New South Wales Police has had a difficult relationship with the LGBTQ+ community; Policing Insight Contributing Editor Sarah Gibbons spoke to NSW Assistant Commissioner Gelina Talbot about the journey the force has been on to rebuild relationships, addressing equality and diversity issues internally, and her own Leadership Award for LGBTQ+ inclusion.

INTERVIEW: In the wake of the 2014 University of California shootings, a number of US states began utilising Extreme Risk Protection Orders, with Florida’s Fort Lauderdale PD among those leading the way; Policing Insight’s Christine Townsend spoke to Detective Christopher Carita about the success of the so-called ‘red flag’ laws, and how the Parkland high school shooting in 2018 made things much more personal for FLPD’s Threat Response Unit.

INTERVIEW: In the latest in a series of interviews with leading figures involved in the research and investigation of organised crime, Policing Insight’s Chris Allen spoke to Ken Rijock, a convicted former money launderer and now financial crime consultant, on the qualities need to catch launderers, the threat posed by economic passports, and how technology keeps the criminals ahead of the game.

INTERVIEW: Ahead of this week’s workshop on the use and abuse of technology in relation to human trafficking, Temporary Chief Inspector Mark O’Donoghue, who helped to create and deliver human trafficking training to police in Vietnam, spoke to Policing Insight’s Keith Potter about the importance of international collaboration, tackling upstream crime to prevent downstream harm, and the UK’s role in sharing tech investigation expertise.

INTERVIEW: With a career combining operational policing and complex investigation with academia, Dr Tracey Green recently took up her post as CEO of the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency with greater insight than most into the demands facing law enforcement; she spoke to Policing Insight Editor Keith Potter about the Agency’s work on immediate and long-term policing challenges, the importance of sharing good practice, and the benefits of collaboration between police and academics.

INTERVIEW: Ahead of next week’s London Policing College workshop on policing public order, workshop chair Roger Gomm QPM (a former Metropolitan Police operational commander) talked to Policing Insight about the challenges officers face when policing protests, and the dilemma of balancing the rights of protestors and the wider public.

INTERVIEW: Restorative justice (RJ) has been long been recognised as a potentially effective alternative to traditional criminal justice processes in many countries, but adoption of the approach has been much slower in the US; one keen advocate is Durham PD Chief Patrice Andrews, who spoke to Policing Insight’s Christine Townsend about the benefits of RJ, its role in reducing crime, and the support among officers for this and other diversionary tools.

INTERVIEW: As terrorists continue to find new and creative ways in which to use the internet to progress and promote their violent and extremist causes, cyber expert Professor Stuart Macdonald, Director of the Cyber Threats Research Centre (CYTREC) at Swansea University, spoke to Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth about ways in which how police officers can engage, support, and participate in research to investigate terrorism and the use of social media.