Analysis

Analysis: The tragic deaths of 39 people in a container lorry in Essex have once again shone a spotlight on human trafficking and the EU's continuing struggle to prevent organised criminals exploiting Europe's frictionless borders. Policing Insight contributor Andrew Staniforth takes a closer look at the challenges.

Analysis: The Police Innovation Fund was introduced in 2013 and replaced by the Police Transformation Fund in 2016, but how successful has it been in bringing the latest innovation and technology to police forces? Policing Insight contributor Andrew Staniforth argues the time is now right for a full evaluation.

analysis: Independent police and crime panel members are generally younger, more diverse, better skilled and more representative of their communities. In his fourth paper, based on his research into police and crime panels, Dr Roy Bailey evaluates the effectiveness of independent panel members.

ANALYSIS : A new law passed in New Zealand promises to decriminalise drug use in favour of a public health approach. Prof. Max Abbott, Auckland University of Technology, argues that the move is a positive step towards addressing the real impact of drugs - so long as it doesn’t get lost in translation.

ANALYSIS : With extreme weather and Brexit dominating the headlines, it might seem sensible for emergency planners to advise people on what to do in a crisis. But when Police Scotland did just that with their #grabbag tweet, it got all the wrong kind of attention. Dan Slee, co-founder of comms2point0, examines the fallout.

ANALYSIS : Cuts to police budgets can mean hard choices. But what might this mean to the victims of incidents like retail crime? Dr Emmeline Taylor, of City, University of London, explores the fallout from retail crime - but argues that we need to move beyond the police response.

Analysis: Following the publication of her research into Intimate Partner Homicides, Dr Jane Monckton-Smith outlines the eight stages of escalation that result in an Intimate Partner Homicide, demonstrating this is a highly predictable crime and debunking the traditional "crime of passion" narrative that often surrounds it.

ANALYSIS: The Whaley Bridge crisis could have been a disaster - but strong communications work by the emergency services helped keep a community together. Dan Slee, co-founder of comms2point0, looks at the social media effort to show where it all went right.

Analysis: The Anglo-American jury system may permeate our popular culture, but many countries have a different approach when it comes to deciding a person's guilt. Dr Lee Curley examines the different systems and how they can impact the final verdict.

analysis: In the third of five papers on Police and Crime Panels, Dr Roy Bailey examines the panel's legal powers and how it handles complaints against Police and Crime Commissioners whilst trying to strike a balance between support and scrutiny.

insight: UK police forces are unable to access the European Commission's Internal Security Fund - Police (ISF-P) which promotes safety and security in the EU, but Policing Insight contributor Andrew Staniforth explains there are other ways for forces to be involved in its vital work.

ANALYSIS: Investigating economic crime is a headache for law enforcement agencies and detection levels remain extremely low.  However, fully embracing crime script analysis as an investigative tool and a method of supporting preventative action could help reverse the trend, writes Dr Nicholas Gilmour from the University of Auckland.

analysis: Cybersecurity is one of the most important cross-national issues in the EU, with essential services at risk if it fails. Policing Insight contributor Andrew Staniforth says this is why effective and coordinated responses between EU member states are necessary - before and after Brexit.

analysis: In the second of five papers on Police and Crime Panels, Dr Roy Bailey explores their structure and organisation alongside a range of challenges including the impact of high panel member turnover, poor attendance, limited training and restricted funding.

ANALYSIS: The latest in our Report Watch series summarises the findings of a joint inspection by HMICFRS and HMICS into the arrangements surrounding how chief officers are selected and developed.

Analysis: The aim of effective governance in policing is to ensure oversight, accountability and transparency. Ireland, Scotland and England and Wales follow different models of governance, but, as Policing Insight's Keith Potter, found the issues they face are often very similar.

insight: Social media is an important public engagement tool for policing, but what happens when an officer posts inappropriate messages? Policing Insight contributor Andrew Staniforth examines the implications of The Plain View Project, a US database of comments made by police officers, which uncovered thousands of offensive posts.

Analysis: A recent Times article revealed the police fail to investigate thousands of crimes reported to Action Fraud. In a co-authored article, West Midlands Assistant Police and Crime Commissioner Waheed Saleem and Policy Officer Brendan Warner-Southwell argue that the lack of governance, scrutiny and accountability surrounding Action Fraud has allowed this to happen.

ANALYSIS: New Home Secretary Priti Patel has promised a hardline approach to policing, with criminals feeling "terror". But do such approaches have the desired effect? Dr Will Mason of the University of Sheffield shows how one drugs crackdown in a northern city was seen by local residents as damaging trust and exacerbating the community's problems.

Analysis: In response to Professor Webster's article calling for an urgent debate on CCTV, former deputy CIO for the MPS and now Global Safety Adviser for Huawei Andrew Watson says the focus shouldn't be on the technology, but how the data is used. The views expressed in this article are Andrew's and do not necessarily reflect Huawei.

Analysis: Sopra Steria's Principal Consultant Benjamyn Damazer warns that Windows 7 is not fit for the demands of modern policing. Its more recent successor - Windows 10 - might meet policing requirements, but only if it is properly implemented.

analysis: Policing Insight contributor Andrew Staniforth lays out the opportunities that the Horizon 2020 European research fund presents for policing and urges Chief Officers and PCCs to seize their chance to apply for millions of euros of funding before the Brexit deadline of the 31 October.

New Series: In the first of five papers, Dr Roy Bailey explores how the appointments process for Police and Crime Panels has created panels that do not represent the communities they serve or ensure all candidates have the adequate knowledge and experience to fulfil their role.

Analysis: Following the recent announcement that a pilot which makes section 60 stop and searches easier will be extended to a further 8,000 police officers, policing commentator Ben Twomey argues the 'three pillars' of effectiveness, disproportionality and transparency still sit at the heart of good practice.