Opinion

OPINION: How important is the police uniform to officers' authority - and morale? Serving officer Martin Gallagher explores his own attitudes, and what the evidence shows, about the role of the constable's hat.

OPINION: Research carried out by Dods into officers' experience of ICT, on behalf of MarkLogic, has revealed some of the obstacles officers face on a daily basis. Imran Razzaq, Public Sector Lead for UK, Ireland and European Union at MarkLogic explores the white paper's findings.

OPINION: Brian Cook, a former senior officer with the Scottish Police Service, looks back at the history of policing in Scotland as well as its recent problems and argues that a more democratic governance model is needed to secure Police Scotland's future. 

INSIGHT: The National FGM Centre was set up in 2015. The centre's head Leethen Bartholomew tells Policing Insight what progress has been made and where the police fit into the centre's vision of ending FGM in the UK by 2030.

OPINION: Neighbourhood Policing Teams are being depleted, but for Martin Surl, Gloucestershire's Police and Crime Commissioner, it is a vital policing function which is why Gloucestershire is taking a different approach.

OPINION: This is the second part of a blog by serving officer Sarah Jane Lennie. In Part One she told us about herself and how she came to be on a career break studying for a PhD. In this second instalment, she goes on to talk more in depth about her research and what she hopes to identify.

Interview: North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones launched his Social Value Policy in November 2017. The aim of the policy is to procure consumables in a way that significantly boosts the local economy and strengthens local communities. Stuart Davies, director of Sustainable Supply Chains Ltd who devised the policy, explains to Tina Orr-Munro how it works.

Opinion: The last few months have seen a number of successful legal challenges relating to disclosure, but if the legislation has been in place for over twenty years, retired Metropolitan Police Service Detective Superintendent Paul Downing, former head of the MPS Crime Academy Intelligence Faculty, asks what's changed?

Opinion: Digital evidence permeates every investigation, but the collapse of several high profile trials recently demonstrates what happens when it is mishandled. Our contributor, a digital investigation expert, who has worked for many years in industry and law enforcement including close involvement in the development of standards across the sector, says the problem goes to the heart of how evidence is gathered and forces must take action now. The author has asked to remain anonymous.

Opinion: The number of unauthorised encampments in the West Midlands has more than doubled in the last five years. Inevitably, community tension has escalated too. This has meant, in the last two years alone, calls to the police related to unauthorised encampments have doubled. West Midlands PCC David Jamieson and Policy Officer Ben Twomey believe it is time to strengthen the law.

OPINION: Artificial intelligence could be a huge boon to policing and public safety - but it must be used responsibly and win public trust. James Slessor, Managing Director of Accenture Public Safety, reflects on the possibilities.

OPINION: What are your psychological drivers? In the fifth in our series of articles aimed at supporting you in the workplace, Jonathan Rees, owner of Momoho and an expert in developing high-performing teams in the bluelight sector, looks at our psychological drivers.

INTERVIEW: Support worker Matt Hazelwood has just joined North Wales Police's modern slavery unit, making him the first support worker in the UK to be based within a police modern slavery unit. He tells Policing Insight about his new role and how it can improve the response to modern day slavery.

OPINION: Police professionalisation is a growing theme internationally, and greater attention is being paid to the links between universities and police forces. Dr Isabelle Bartkowiak-Théron, James Dwyer and Brianna O’Shea of the University of Tasmania reflect on their experiences and the need to keep challenging for greater engagement.

OPINION: Sarah-Jane Lennie was a successful and well-respected DI - until one day she couldn't do it any more. Now on a career break and studying for a PhD at Manchester Met, she tells her story and invites serving officers to take part in her research into the psychological consequences of the emotional work of policing.

Opinion: When Lincolnshire Police's annual Drink Drive campaigns failed to have an impact on the public and the media and with drink and drug driving on the rise, the force took the step of naming those charged to reignite interest and dissuade future offending. But was this the right approach? Cate Moore, Independent Chair Lincolnshire Police Ethics Panel, explores the issues.

Opinion: Mark Cooper, director of Greymalkin Consulting, looks back at some of the work undertaken throughout 2017 to tackle the scourge of modern slavery and considers the challenges that lie ahead.

Opinion: At eight years of age, Scotland’s age of criminal responsibility is the lowest in Europe. The country is currently poised to raise it to 12, but Penelope Gibbs, Director of Transform Justice, asks why aren't England and Wales following suit?

Opinion: The revolving door of justice perplexes many working within the criminal justice system, but Police and Crime Commissioners are in a prime position to stop the cycle of offending. Emma Casey, Policy and Public Affairs Officer for the charity, Revolving Doors Agency, explains how could be achieved.

OPINION: As the New Year begins, yet another scandal has emerged involving potential Scottish government interference with the operation of Police Scotland. Nick McKerrell of Glasgow Caledonian University warns that the crisis in Scottish policing is a structural one - and that without an examination of those structural causes, these crises cannot be resolved.

OPINION: The effects of austerity mean that the pace of innovation in policing may be slowing - but the demand for it is not. In the first of a series, serving officer Gareth Stubbs looks at technology in policing, and argues that innovation isn't a luxury, but a necessity, and one that requires real investment.

OPINION: Can 'Alexa' and other similar devices help forces manage demand?  Rob Flanagan, former police officer and now Innovation Manager for Lancashire Constabulary, believes they can as his force is poised to launch an Amazon app that taps into Alexa's potential.

Opinion: New year, new you? In the fourth of a series of articles aimed at supporting you in the workplace, Jonathan Rees, owner of Momoho and an expert in developing high-performing teams in the bluelight sector, helps you identify your 'time pirate' and its impact on your performance.

OPINION: Newly-retired chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, Steve White, says the service is still in need of radical reform. Here, he suggests a way to drive change.