Opinion

OPINION: ENABLE UK is a new participant action research project funded by the N8 Policing Research Partnership (N8 PRP), and run in collaboration with Keele Academic Policing Collaboration (KPAC) involving eight police forces, Police Scotland, and the College of Policing. Chief Superintendent Owen West from West Yorkshire Police and Amanda Jacks from the Football Supporters Federation explain.

OPINION: Debriefing and reflection are integral parts of policing after high profile or major events, but what about in normal, day-to-day policing work? Jennifer Norman and Emma Williams of Canterbury Christ Church University describe their police students' experiences of reflection and its benefits.

INSIGHT: Oliver Gower, Deputy Director of the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit warns cybercrime is escalating, its impact on victims is significant and the time is right for forces to ready themselves to meet the threat.

INTERVIEW: Last month, Suzy Lamplugh Trust, which runs the National Stalking Helpline, secured £4.1m from the Police Transformation Fund, via the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), to carry out pioneering work with perpetrators of stalking. Tina Orr-Munro speaks to Chief Executive Rachel Griffin about how the project will work.

OPINION: Amid growing demand on policing, how can forces manage the flood of offenders arrested for viewing child abuse material? Nick Alston, Chair of Anglia Ruskin University's Policing Institute for the Eastern Region (PIER), outlines a major conference in November that seeks to find new approaches to investigations and prevention.

OPINION: Blockchain and other 'distributed ledger' technologies are best known as the basis of virtual currency Bitcoin, but could they be the solution to data-sharing issues in policing and criminal justice? Rick Muir of the Police Foundation explores the implications.

INSIGHT: Mark Cooper, a former HMIC programme director and OPCC Chief Executive, offers an indispensable insight and guide on how to ensure your force inspection goes as smoothly as possible.

Opinion: Sherry Ralph, Chief Operating Officer for the Independent Custody Visiting Association (ICVA) looks at how some custody suites are failing to cater for women experiencing their period and suggests ways to overcome this.

OPINION: Compstat was revolutionary when it was introduced by Bill Bratton in late 1990s New York. But is it still fit for purpose? Prof. Jerry Ratcliffe of Temple University warns that Compstat has become 'whack-a-mole' policing and suggests that the UK's National Intelligence Model is a good starting point to guide reform.

OPINION: Why should police leaders look abroad for lessons in police oversight? Dr Brian Moss of Coventry University outlines the advantages of examining other systems and what leaders in the UK could learn.

OPINION: What difference does education really make to serving police officers? Serving officer Gareth Stubbs describes his educational journey and how it's affected the way he thinks, and how he goes about the job.

INTERVIEW: The video-enabled justice project, awarded £11m in Police Transformation Funding, will allow people to give evidence via a network of high-tech video links in police stations and other buildings across London and the South East. Tina Orr-Munro speaks to Project lead Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne and explores the benefits of VEJ and the advantages of having a PCC at the helm of such an ambitious initiative.

Opinion: Allan Fairley, UK Police & Justice Managing Director, Accenture looks at the pivotal role of data in technology-enabled policing, and examines how public cloud computing can provide a better way forward.

Insight: Ever felt overwhelmed by the sheer volume of what needs to be done? Jonathan Rees is the owner of Momoho which works with blue light services to develop high-performing teams and individuals. In the first of a series of articles, he examines ways for police leaders to tackle the pressure cooker of modern day policing.

INTERVIEW: As individual forces explore the ways in which they can use drones in everyday policing, Gary Mason talks to Russell Woolford, Assistant Operations Director with the National Police Air Service (NPAS) about the role to be played by the organisation, which currently manages helicopter and fixed‑wing aircraft fleet across England and Wales

Opinion: Cleveland Police has become the first force to buy in Sopra Steria's Predikt, a web-based police resource and demand modelling  tool. Kathryn Howe, head of public sector marketing for Sopra Steria, explains how PrediKt takes the guesswork out of predicting demand on the service.

OPINION: Last week's police pay settlement provoked some controversy - in part over the responses from the College of Policing and the NPCC. Gavin Hales of the Police Foundation warns the settlement and the responses underlines that all is not well in policing.

OPINION: Police Scotland's Chief Constable, Phil Gormley, was temporarily suspended last week in more bad news for the force. Nick McKerrell of Glasgow Caledonian University looks at the institutional malaise at the heart of Police Scotland and asks if the issues of leadership and accountability are likely to be resolved.

Opinion: Unauthorised traveller encampments are a challenging issue for most areas. In a co-authored article, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson and Lead Policy Officer Ben Twomey argue that transit sites may offer a solution. 

INTERVIEW: Gary Mason talks with National Police Chiefs' Council lead Steve Barry about current and future plans for drone use, the legislative challenges to be overcome, and the problems surrounding governance

Opinion: In 2014, Staffordshire Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis first commissioned a report into incidents police attended that involved someone with a mental illness. Three years on and Staffordshire has made considerable strides in reducing the number of those suffering mental ill health in custody, but there is still much to be done.

INSIGHT: Supporting Justice have launched a new quality mark to promote standards in victim care services. Chief Executive Anne Warren explains why the quality mark is needed and how it is assessed

Interview: David Lloyd, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, has been elected as the Chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC).  He tells Syreeta Lund what his plans are for the organisation.

Opinion: Gloucestershire Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl explains the impact of his Commissioner's Fund on the most vulnerable in the community.