Opinion

OPINION: While there are undoubtedly resource and technology costs attached to the police use of social media, the contribution it can make to the delivery of policing in both physical and digital spaces needs to be understood and acknowledged, says Dr Liam Ralph, Research Fellow at Northumbria University.

OPINION: Monash University Emeritus Professor Jude McCulloch believes that a bill being considered by Australia's Victorian Parliament as part of legislation to tackle COVID-19 would provide police and other ‘authorised officers’ with unprecedented, extraordinary powers, and rely too heavily on a punitive approach to controlling the coronavirus, with limited checks and balances.

OPINION: In the third in a series of three articles on law enforcement and digital technology, Ian Stevenson, Chair of the Online Safety Technology Industry Association (OSTIA) and CEO and co-founder of Cyan Forensics, considers some of the key questions and challenges around innovation and technology in policing.

OPINION: Adrian Timberlake, chief technical officer at Seven Technologies Group, explains how facial recognition could help to reduce bias and protect innocent members of the public, while ensuring the guilty are brought to justice.

OPINION: Young people stopped by police while carrying drugs for personal use often swallow the substance to avoid additional charges, with potentially life-threatening consequences. Assistant Professor and Pediatric Emergency Physician Dr Kirstin Weerdenburg, and Kristyn Anderson, a Clinical Social Worker and PhD student, both of Dalhousie University, believe police discretion and decriminalisation are the way forward.

OPINION: With myriad books on management, leadership and personal skills, its unsurprising that no single philosophy offers the 'silver bullet' solution; but Chief Inspector Steve Lenney believes police leadership could benefit greatly from the jigsaw puzzle approach.

OPINION: The widespread availability of E-scooters on the roads of British towns and cities is causing increasing controversy and producing polarised reactions. Charlie Norman of DriveTech examines the issues for policing that E-scooters present.

OPINION: It's time for a proactive approach to frontline health, welfare, skills and career support, believes Mightify CEO Tom Wheelhouse – and investing in action rather than awareness and discussion will bring huge rewards.

FEATURE: The shocking events of 9/11 in the USA brought the role of Special Branch and ports police – a crucial part of the UK counter-terror apparatus – into much sharper focus, and fed into an inspection process which would lead to major changes in their role and status, as Policing Insight contributor Andy Staniforth explains.

OPINION: Technological innovation is crucial in enabling digital forensics teams to tackle the growth in devices and data; but the success of innovators relies on police engagement, explains Ian Stevenson, Chair of the Online Safety Technology Industry Association (OSTIA) and CEO of Cyan Forensics.

OPINION: Superintendent Simon Nelson, President of the Disabled Police Association, looks at the impact language and categorisation can have on individuals in diverse 'minority' groups, including those with a disability.

SUPERINTENDENTS' CONFERENCE: NPCC Workforce Representation Lead Phil Cain warns that the service must stop 'reacting defensively' to concerns of racism in policing, and become more educated and aware of the issues around diversity and inclusion.

OPINION: 'You may be terrified of social media. Unfortunately, you have every reason to be. It's a dangerous place where things get taken out of context and rumours fly': Yael Bar-tur, New York Police Department's former Director of Social Media, explores the risks and opportunities for policing's digital communications.

OPINION: The COVID-19 pandemic and and Black Lives Matter protests have seen policing face new and unique challenges over recent months; but as crowd control specialist Owen West points out, attempting to ban legitimate demonstrations and reclassifying protest groups as serious crime organisations or domestic extremists is both dangerous and futile.

OPINION: Knife crime hit a record high in England and Wales before the COVID-19 lockdown, leading to calls for tougher sentencing; but Sean Creaney, Senior Lecturer at Edge Hill University, and Jo Deakin, Senior Lecturer at the University of Manchester, argue that engaging young people in their rehabilitation process is a more effective way of reducing reoffending.

OPINION: Nathan Bird, UK Policing lead for social media company Hootsuite, believes the changes that policing will need to make as a result of the European Electronic Communications Code – known as ‘Next Generation 999’ – should be seen as a real opportunity to revitalise police engagement and public contact in a digital society.

OPINION: In the lead up to World Suicide Prevention Day, former police leader turned development coach Gareth Davies highlights the problematic policing culture that contributes to deaths among serving and former officers, and how leadership, learning and emotional development could deliver positive change.

OPINION: The challenges of the Coronavirus pandemic have stretched emergency services around the globe in strikingly similar ways; Oscar Bachs, from Barcelona technology company Unblur, describes how innovations such as AI and situational awareness software could be used to enhance the safety and effectiveness of blue light workers.

OPINION: Ian Stevenson, Chair of the Online Safety Technology Industry Association (OSTIA) and CEO of Cyan Forensics, outlines the ever-increasing challenge facing police digital forensic teams targeting issues such as online child sexual abuse, and highlights the opportunities for transformational change by utilising new technology to tackle such crimes.

OPINION: Last week saw the inaugural police-focused Changing Times, Changing Practice event, a one-day webinar hosted by Skills for Justice to share good practice and learning, and explore how organisation development and change can help to create a diverse, trusted and modern police force. Event facilitator Toby Lindsay looks at some of the key issues discussed on the day, and the next steps.

OPINION: As policing by consent and the basis of police interaction with the public are widely debated, Dr Brian Moss of the University of Southampton argues that a hardening of police tactics – such as increased used of CEDs and predictive policing – have been met largely with silence by the UK police inspectorates.

OPINION: A report by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) backed the decriminalisation of drugs for personal use; Professor Bill Bogart explores whether the country is ready and willing to take that step.

FEATURE: COVID-19 has represented a major challenge to the emergency services, but has also led to an acceleration in collaborative working; now a new survey aims to capture and share successful collaborations, as a foundation for future workforce transformation

Opinion: In 2019, Dubai Police became the world's first law enforcement agency to achieve the British Standard Certification for delivering effective governance of organizational performance. Force consultant Jorge Román, and Dubai Police Major, Dr Hamdan Al Samt, explore what the standard means for both the force and the community.