Opinion

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.

Opinion: Smart data analysis technology has existed for many years so why haven't forces made the most of it? Clare Elford, Managing Director of Clue which provides investigative software, explores the challenges faced by forces and offers a solution.

Opinion: Former prison governor, Ian Acheson,  who led the 2016 landmark review of Islamist extremism in prisons and probation says the solution to Specials' recruitment has been there all along - prison officers.

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS: Our Publisher, Bernard Rix, reflects on Policing Insight's last twelve months, sets out our Christmas and New Year schedule, and takes a look on what we're planning for 2018...

2017 Review: As 2017 comes to a close, we review Policing Insight’s year in policing and discover modern policing has more in common with a rather famous Dickens’ Christmas story than you might imagine.

OPINION: Policing Insight's Publisher, Bernard Rix, takes a look at today's police funding announcement by the Home Secretary: a headache for PCCs, whichever way you look at it?

2017 Review: It's been an eventful year at the academic end of policing, particularly for the College of Policing. Carina O'Reilly, Editor of Policing Insight, reviews the year's events and looks forward to 2018.

OPINION: The BBC are advertising roles that are only open to candidates from a black, Asian or non-white ethnic minority background, but is this approach to recruitment a step too far for policing? Tom Webb-Skinner, Resourcing Team Leader for British Transport Police, explores the issues.

OPINION: Northamptonshire's Police and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold says PCCs are best placed to deliver real transformation across the entire public sector.

OPINION: Last month, serving officer Nathan Constable warned the relationship between the College and serving officers was strained, and set out an urgent plea for the College to reflect and rebuild. Here, Rachel Tuffin, acting CEO of the College, responds.

OPINION: Sussex police recently claimed that a fixture between Brighton and Hove Albion and Crystal Palace represented a return to the 'dark days of football', with the stadium beset by ticketless fans armed with knuckledusters - claims that were later retracted. Chief Supt. Owen West argues that this incident does risk a return to the dark days, in terms of police legitimacy and fan relations, and calls for urgent change.

OPINION: In a report out today, the Centre for Social Justice calls on the Government to give more local freedom to Police and Crime Commissioners to fund the fight against crime. Rory Geoghegan, Head of Criminal Justice at the CSJ, explains what could be achieved if PCCs raised an additional £180 million locally.

OPINION: Last month, the Police Foundation’s annual conference focused on effective collaboration between the police, partners and communities. In his opening presentation, Dr Rick Muir, director of the Police Foundation offered a number of ways in which this could be achieved.

OPINION: New technologies such as computer vision and machine learning are transforming CCTV and enhancing public safety. James Slessor, Managing Director of Accenture Public Safety, explores the possibilities of the new generation of CCTV.

OPINION: Following the publication of David Anderson QC's review of the four terrorist attacks this year, Ian Wiggett, formerly Assistant Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, examines the wider issues. While counter-terror policing relies on striking the balance between resources, powers and human rights, local policing teams can expect greater demands to be placed on them. 

OPINION: Last week, @WeCops hosted a Twitter chat on how austerity had affected policing. Serving officer Gareth Stubbs discusses the responses and what it tells us about the state of policing, and the need for police organisations to take trauma and wellbeing seriously.

OPINION: Arrests of football fans have fallen by 14% according to recent figures - but the numbers don't tell the whole story. Anecdotal evidence suggests that fans still face confrontational policing and aggressive stewarding at matches. Chief Supt. Owen West calls for clubs, fans and police forces to come together to change the match day dynamic.

OPINION: As they commence a new national research project into Special Constabulary leadership, Dr Iain Britton and Dr Carol Borland-Jones of the Institute for Public Safety, Crime and Justice at the University of Northampton, discuss why they feel the leadership of Special Constabularies is such an important issue, and raise some key debates.