Opinion

OPINION: Over the last months we have run several articles on the proposed integration of the British Transport Police into Police Scotland. Here, Darren Townsend of the British Transport Police Federation offers an update on the Fed's latest negotiations with Scottish Government officials and advisors on the planned merger.

OPINION: "Police officers deal with enough grief and trauma during the service and are exposed to such constant negativity that it must do – and does – affect their mental health". Police blogger and serving officer "Nathan Constable" takes a personal look at the effect that policing can have on an individual, and commends the Police Dependants' Trust on research findings they have recently published..

OPINION: Morale in the police service is a key issue, highlighted by the results of recent surveys by the Police Federation and the Police Dependants' Trust. Emma Williams of Canterbury Christ Church University calls for the embedding of a culture of participatory leadership at every rank, to ensure communication, curiosity, collaboration, and trust.

OPINION: International Restorative Justice Week runs from the 20th to the 27th of November. Lucy Jaffé, Director of the charity, Why me?, takes the opportunity to look back at the year, and offers thoughts on how Restorative Justice should be measured as part of victim recovery. There is also news about a new promotional toolkit being launched in RJ Week 2016 with the support of well-known TV presenter and Great British Bake Off star, Mel Giedroyc.

OPINION: Steve White, Chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, addressed last week's APCC / NPCC Conference on the subject of police leadership - Steve also leads on "initial leadership" within the College of Policing's "Leadership in the Professional Community" portfolio. In this article for Policing Insight, he reiterates the arguments he put forward at the APCC / NPCC Conference.

OPINION: Dave Etheridge, President of the CFOA, says the Chief Fire Officers’ Association will support Police and Crime Commissioners taking responsibility for fire; but there must be a robust local business case made that identifies enhancements to public safety

OPINION: Police officers are increasingly asked by other agencies to undertake 'welfare checks' on people in mental health crisis. Serving officer 'Nathan Constable' argues that not only do the police have no powers to intervene in many cases, but their involvement can often make matters considerably worse.

OPINION: Last week’s @WeCops discussion on leadership in policing asked, among other questions, how the voices of officers could be heard better by leaders, and whether the proposed reduction in ranks will be positive or negative. Ahead of the chat, @dedicatedpeeler Gareth Stubbs argued that leadership is as much about the people being led as it is about those doing the leading. Here he summarises the debate and the issues that it raised.

OPINION: Minister of State for Policing and the Fire Service Brandon Lewis says the government is committed to enabling fire and police services to work more closely together and develop the role of elected and accountable PCCs

OPINION: Having attended CoPaCC's "Brexit: Implications for policing and security" conference in London earlier this year, North Wales Deputy PCC Ann Griffith provides her personal perspective on Brexit's local ramifications

OPINION: "Not all policing and justice agencies are embracing collaboration", observes Allan Fairley, Managing Director of Accenture Police Services, Why not? Three reasons, he explains. And why is it now essential that they do so? Read on...

OPINION: Commoditised IT, a federated infrastructure and new attitudes to risk could all contribute to more efficient and effective policing, writes former chief constable of Cambridgeshire Constabulary Simon Parr

OPINION: The new offence of 'police corruption' is not yet widely understood. Ian Townsend of Rebian Solicitors offers an overview of 'police corruption', and warns that the new offence creates the danger that a police officer’s behaviour which might have amounted to misconduct will in future be criminalised.

OPINION: The SNP government in Holyrood appears determined to push through with its proposal to dismantle the British Transport Police and absorb its functions into Police Scotland. Writer and commentator Wesley Hutchins looks at the evidence and the motivations behind the SNP's strategy.

OPINION: London’s blue light services are well placed to respond to a terror attack, according to a wide-ranging review of the capital’s resilience published earlier this week by policing expert Lord Toby Harris. Martin Hoscik of Mayorwatch examines the review, its conclusions, and criticisms from Conservative Assembly Members.

OPINION: Knife crime has a disproportionate effect on young men who are mostly poor, frequently black and invariably from challenging inner city neighbourhoods. Chief Superintendent John Sutherland calls for urgent action to address the disease of knife crime by listening to those who know what works.

EXCLUSIVE: Today in Parliament, MPs will debate police officer safety. Holly Lynch MP secured the Adjournment debate following a shift with West Yorkshire Police, which opened her eyes to how vulnerable police officers are when single crewed. She blogs about what she's demanding of the government to ensure that officers are safe when on patrol.

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.