Opinion

OPINION: Police officers who tutor other police officers don't always receive much formal recognition. Serving officer 'West Coast Response' lays out what could be done to recognise and reward the commitment of officers who dedicate their time and effort to coaching and training new cops.

OPINION: The Isle of Man has become the thirteenth police force to sign up for Northgate Public Services’ CONNECT policing platform, which represents around a third all forces in England and Wales, and the fourth to sign up for it as a stand-alone platform rather than jointly with other forces. Ian Blackhurst of Northgate Public Services hails the ongoing shift in policing to digital platforms.

OPINION: A number of stories have emerged in the press over recent weeks referring to police officers accused of sexual misconduct as 'sex pests'. Martin Holleran, former serving officer and now Senior Lecturer in Policing Studies at York SJ, takes issue with this terminology, and calls for a cultural transformation of the police service.

OPINION: The Operational Research Society is dedicated to applying advanced analytical methods to help make better decisions. Sue Merchant and Ian Seath, committee members of the OR Society’s Criminal Justice special interest group, describe some recent operational research projects in policing and criminal justice.

OPINION: What will the police forces of the future look like, and how will we get there? Sussex Chief Constable Giles York, NPCC lead for Workforce, makes the case for change in the recruitment and development of police officers, in order to build a workforce more reflective of the skills and competencies needed for the modern police service.

OPINION: British policing is structured around the local, but criminals aren’t constrained by lines on maps, so the police can’t afford to be either. Sara Thornton, Chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council, outlines her vision of future for specialised services, as the NPCC publishes its recommendations to Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners.

OPINION: Is promotion through the ranks perceived as a game? In August, @wecops ran a Twitter debate hosted by Inspector Gareth Stubbs (@DedicatedPeeler) on 'The Police Promotion System'. Neil James of @bselectedpolice summarises the debate and discusses some of the key issues raised.

OPINION: Increasing threats to LGBT events and venues has led to the cancellation and lockdown of such celebrations worldwide. Jo Arundale, chair of the Devon and Cornwall police LGBT network, reflects on this newly dangerous facet of radicalisation and explores some of the options for countering the threat.

OPINION: Bernard Rix, CoPaCC's Chief Executive, reflects on the Body Worn Video seminar at the University of Cambridge's "Festival of Ideas", and asks how many forces are ready to make changes to their complaints handling processes.

OPINION: ‘Vulnerable’ is one of the most frequently used words in policing today. Ch Supt Paul Griffiths, Vice President of the Police Superintendents' Association of England and Wales, considers policing's approach to vulnerable individuals.

OPINION: Part of the role of @wecops since its inception has been to provide a way for front line officers to have an open debate about key issues - and for that to be picked up by senior leadership. Last week's debate on the National Crime Agency (NCA) offered exactly that opportunity. Emma Williams of Canterbury Christ Church University summarises the debate, hosted by Director General of the NCA Lynne Owens.

OPINION: Is the criminal justice system stuck in the 19th century? Sussex PCC Katy Bourne looks at how PCCs have made their presence felt since taking over from Police Authorities in November 2012, and explains how she is using her power and influence to give victims and witnesses access to swifter justice.

OPINION: With increasing numbers of serving police officers undertaking academic study - perhaps for the first time - the College of Policing has set up a new Academic Support Network through POLKA. Dr Ian Hesketh outlines why 'pracademics' might need a source of mutual support, and what the new network can offer.

OPINION: Academics and police are working increasingly closely - but what are the practicalities of such partnerships? How do they evolve over time? Layla Skinns explores some of the issues ahead of next week's international conference at the University of Sheffield, Working with the Police on Policing.

OPINION: Lincolnshire Police made headlines last month after PCC Marc Jones announced he would be advertising internationally for its new chief constable. Local resident and policing commentator Cate Moore sings the praises of the force and calls for an energetic moderniser to step up to the plate.

OPINION: What is the proper relationship between police and academia? Could a focus on 'what works' endanger the development of reflective practice? And could the growth in programmes being offered by universities in police-related subjects risk the commodification of policing? Emma Williams of Canterbury Christ Church University examines the evolving relationship between policing and the academy.

OPINION: Many police forces are exploring the possibilities of cloud-based data management, but can face significant barriers to implementation - not least budgetary restraints. However, James Slessor of Accenture argues that next-generation policing will depend on the capabilities that cloud technology will offer.

OPINION: The House of Commons Justice Select Committee in September published its report on restorative justice. Durham and Darlington Police and Crime Commissioner Ron Hogg welcomes the report, and outlines the way that Durham has led on the development of restorative approaches.

OPINION: CoPaCC Director, John Tizard, reflects on CoPaCC's recent "Brexit: Implications for policing and security" event supported by leading law firm Fieldfisher. Many policing stakeholders contributed to the seminar discussion, including PCCs, Deputy PCCs, OPCC staff, senior and former police officers, national policing agency and government departmental officials.

OPINION: With shrinking budgets, the police are being asked to make hard choices about their priorities. Following last week's Excellence in Policing conference, Rick Muir of the Police Foundation argues that if we are to close the expectations gap, the police need to engage in a major exercise in public education.

OPINION: Under the current funding model, Lincolnshire is projected to face a £6 million shortfall within the next three years - more than the entire pay bill for all of the force's PCSOs. Chief Constable Neil Rhodes outlines the urgent need for an interim solution.

OPINION: Self-leadership and resilience expert Kim Adams provides an Australian perspective on policing leadership, drawing on a professional career in performance and evaluation psychology plus eight years leading research and evaluation for the Queensland Police Service.

OPINION: Brian Langston, retired Assistant Chief Constable and former member of the National Black Police Association Executive writes that the current quest for representative 'Identity' diversity in the police service is misguided and unachievable, and it should be replaced with 'Cognitive' diversity.

OPINION: Some months ago, Jenna Bradley (one of the @wecops team) asked her fellow students for suggestions for an upcoming @wecops debate. Jonny Blackwell, a Chief Inspector for West Yorkshire Police responsible for Safeguarding, suggested Child Sexual Exploitation, or CSE. Emma Williams of Canterbury Christ Church University summarises the debate, hosted by Jonny and fellow volunteer Danielle Williams.