Innovation

INNOVATION: With terrorism moving increasingly online, the use of steganography – embedding potentially dangerous data inside seemingly innocent files – is becoming a growing concern for law enforcement; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at this new technology being adopted by terrorist organisations, and the efforts being made to counter their activity.

FEATURE: The successful trial of a new Tactical Response Model by New Zealand Police – launched following the tragic murder of Constable Matthew Hunt – provides enhanced training for officers and better frontline access to specialist capability, while ensuring that officers remain approachable and connected to their communities, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: More than 2,000 officers from Peel Regional Police will receive specialised, survivor-led human trafficking training to help them identify and support those who might be being groomed or are already being exploited, in a training project that’s the first of its kind in Canada, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

INNOVATION: Recent commercial research in the US has highlighted the key role that technology could play in increasing public trust in policing; Kinana Hussain, Vice President of Product Management at Digi International, explains how connectivity solutions can keep law enforcement and first responders safe while increasing trust in the communities they serve.

FEATURE: Steve Franklin, Executive Director at managed IT services and audio-visual specialist Cinos, explores the key considerations for designing, developing and maintaining police control rooms, and the role technology plays to allow vital monitoring systems to continue supporting policing around the clock, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

INNOVATION: As forces across England and Wales strive to hit ambitious recruitment targets, they also face the challenge of new recruits now outnumbering more experienced officers’ Paul Roberts, Head of Product Strategy and Innovation, Public Safety at NEC Software Solutions; believes new technology such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and advanced analytics could play a vital role in upskilling new recruits as quickly as possible.

FEATURE: Environmental crime – which in some cases exploits the impact of climate change – is increasingly recognised as one of the key threats posed by organised crime groups; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth reports on a new EU collaborative project which will use the latest technology to target illicit activities such as intentional dumping, waste trafficking, and the illegal trade in environmentally damaging substances.

INTERVIEW: As police forces around the world struggle to meet the growing demand of emergency calls related to people’s mental health problems, Austin Police Department in Texas has introduced a clinician-based ‘mental health crisis’ option for 911 callers which has improved the service to the public, cut use of force and arrest rates, and enabled officers to prioritise the response to crime, as Policing Insight’s Christine Townsend reports.

FEATURE: Law enforcement globally faces similar challenges around officers numbers, diversity and community engagement, yet the crucial contribution of policing volunteers – and the relatively untapped potential – is often overlooked; Dr Iain Britton of the University of Northampton’s Institute for Public Safety, Crime and Justice reports on recent global gatherings of volunteer policing leaders and academics in the UK, and plans to improve the international sharing of evidence and best practice.

FEATURE: Reporting a crime or seeking help from police can be a challenge for anyone, but for those who have difficulty communicating it can be particularly tough; Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons spoke to Victoria Police and Scope Australia about a new accreditation programme that reassures those with disabilities while ensuring officers have the skills and training to overcome communications challenges.

ANALYSIS: The emergency service response to disasters – whether manmade incidents such as terrorist attacks, or naturally occurring events including weather crises – has been under scrutiny in the UK and globally in recent years; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at a new European disaster analysis model that will be unveiled this week, which aims to increase learning and share best practice with a view to improving future responses.

FEATURE: Law enforcement around the world has relied increasingly on DNA as a crucial tool in solving crime; but without specific production standards to protect against the contamination of crime scenes, killers could have escaped justice while innocent people faced conviction and even execution, as Will Paton, Marketing Manager for scene-of-crime technology specialists RollsTechGlobal, explains.

INNOVATION: From sexual abuse to modern slavery and county lines, tackling child exploitation is a complex challenge, and one where information sharing, identification and intervention are crucial; Dr Hayley Watson and Stephen Anning of Trilateral Research explain how a new ethical artificial intelligence (AI) platform developed in collaboration with Lincolnshire Police is analysing big data to provide early indicators of those children most vulnerable to potential exploitation.

FEATURE: Yesterday was the final day of the EU’s European Cybersecurity Month, a four-week long initiative of awareness-raising and learning opportunities across Europe; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the current cybersecurity landscape, the potential threats for the public and some of the probable challenges for law enforcement moving forwards.

FEATURE: As the awareness-raising events and learning opportunities as part of the EU’s European Cybersecurity Month begin to draw to a close, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the latest funded research initiatives designed to promote co-operation and collaboration across the continent, in an effort to enhance cybersecurity and protect the increasing number of crucial connected digital systems and networks.

FEATURE: The EU’s European Cybersecurity Month is now underway, with awareness-raising events and learning opportunities scheduled throughout October; in the latest in a series of articles, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the work of the new NAViGATORs initiative, a multi-agency collaboration across a consortium of EU member states to support and enhance law enforcement’s digital forensic investigations capability.

INNOVATION: Making better use of technology has been recognised as key to improving police performance for many years, but security concerns around the use of cloud computing have been a source of tension; Jon Graham, Business Development Manager at digital solutions specialist Triad, believes that by developing effective security-first cloud strategies, police forces could achieve significant benefits from a move to the ‘new emergent model’.

FEATURE: The EU’s European Cybersecurity Month is now underway, with awareness-raising events and learning opportunities scheduled throughout October; in the second in a series of articles, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the work of the European Network of Cybersecurity Centres and Competence Hub for Innovation and Operations (ECHO), and its efforts to strengthen the EU’s cyber defences.

INNOVATION: With forces in England and Wales facing surging demand from domestic abuse victims, Kent Police embarked on a randomised control trial of a new rapid video response (RVR) to victims; Stacey Rothwell, Network Director for England’s Eastern Region of seven forces, explains the methodology behind the trial, and the key findings – including greater victim satisfaction, faster police response times and a 50% increase in arrests – which have led Kent to a force-wide introduction of RVR.

INNOVATION: The latest cohort of recruits to Merseyside Police will be wearing wrist bands that monitor their stress and strain levels as well as sleep patterns, as part of a six-month pilot project focusing on police welfare; Dr Carol Cox, Head of Policing at Liverpool John Moores University, is leading the research team, and spoke to Policing Insight’s Keith Potter about the aims of the pilot, overcoming the associated challenges, and the potential of wearable technology going forwards.

FEATURE: A documentary film sharing the harrowing stories of Romanian domestic violence victims driven to kill their abusers, efforts to ensure Spanish support services are accessible for all, and a project to provide common operating standards for India’s two million police officers were among international initiatives to tackle VAWG discussed at a recent global conference, as Policing Insight Contributing Editor Tina Orr Munro reports.

OPINION: In what are widely recognised as difficult times for policing, new technology could help to transform service delivery and performance, but is still often regarded as a problem rather than an opportunity; Martin Taylor of cloud communications specialists Content Guru believes the successful implementation of that technology – particularly in relation to omnichannel public contact – could achieve real transformative benefits for both police and the public.

FEATURE: Data is widely recognised as a key enabler in policing’s digital transformation, but the quality of that data is crucial, especially when it comes to location; Phill Ridley of 1Spatial, Durham Chief Constable Jo Farrell, and Teresa Ashforth, PND Data Quality & Standards Lead at the Home Office, highlight the benefits that can be achieved through the use of UPRNs, and the steps that all forces can take to improve their data quality.

INNOVATION: The Government is currently piloting an algorithmic transparency standard across the public sector, with the aim of improving openness and public trust in the use of technology; a new research study has highlighted the potential benefits for policing of adhering to the standard, including greater public confidence, the sharing of best practice and reduced costs, as Policing Insight’s Keith Potter reports.