Interview

INTERVIEW: Following on from the recent Police Interview Summit organised by interview tools and software specialists Davidhorn, Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons spoke to company CEO Børge Hansen about the value of closer collaboration and understanding between police and suppliers, the importance of developing investigative interviewing skills through an officer’s career, and why forces should look beyond upfront technology costs to recognise the long-term operational benefits of technology investment.

INTERVIEW: In the latest in a series of interviews with leading figures involved in the research and investigation of organised crime (OC), Policing Insight’s Dr Chris Allen spoke to journalist and author Peter Walsh, whose most recent book is now a major Netflix series, about how he first become focused on organised crime, why capping high-value banknotes could be a key step in tackling OC, and how the kingpin strategy may have led to a rise in drug trafficking.

INTERVIEW: A new organised supply chain crime intelligence desk has been launched by Opal, UK policing’s national intelligence unit for serious organised acquisitive crime, which will develop strategic and tactical intelligence packages for forces to help them tackle the increasingly sophisticated efforts of organised crime groups that divert goods through cybercrime, create ghost companies to steal contracts from businesses, and target warehouses and depots, as Opal Head Jim Taylor told Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

INTERVIEW: Proposals for an Animal Protection Disclosure Scheme, known as Holly’s Law and modelled on Clare’s Law (the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme), could soon be debated in the UK Parliament; former police officer Mark Randell, a campaign manager at the Naturewatch Foundation, explained to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons why the link between animal abuse and coercive control and violence could be crucial in tackling domestic abuse, and how officers can play their part.

FEATURE: Mandatory training on autism awareness for police would equip officers with the skills needed to interact more effectively with neurodiverse communities, as well as increasing trusts and confidence, argues Edinburgh Napier University postgraduate student Victoria Paterson, whose own work with Police Scotland showed that officers “were really positive and wanted to get involved”, as she explained to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

INNOVATION: The fully automated Trauma Tracker system launched by Avon and Somerset Police will enable line managers and wellbeing professionals to proactively manage workforce exposure to trauma, as well as giving officers and staff regular updates on the possible impact that traumatic incidents may have on their wellbeing, as Inspector Stuart King explained to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

INTERVIEW: Last year’s National Police Chiefs’ Council Innovation and Digital Summit and the subsequent proposals in the Government’s police reform white paper have put the development of technology firmly in focus for UK policing; Policing Insight’s Martin Buhagiar spoke to Humberside Chief Constable Chris Todd, Chair of the National Police Data and Analytics Board, about the tech opportunities offered by the planned reforms, the growing enthusiasm for better exploitation of data, and the need for intuitive solutions.

INTERVIEW: Warwickshire Police’s digital transformation over the past eight years has seen them acknowledged as a leader in many areas of police technology, and particularly the use of AI; Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons spoke to the force’s Director of Data, Strategy & Technology, Stephen Russell, about the potential for AI in policing, the importance of measured development rather than a rush to “go fast and first”, and how the lessons of managing people translate to managing AI apps and agents.

INTERVIEW: In the latest in a series of interviews with leading figures involved in the research and investigation of organised crime (OC), Policing Insight’s Dr Chris Allen spoke to Former West Midlands Police Detective Inspector Dr David Wilson and now West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit lead for modern slavery and organised immigration crime (MSOIC), and a recognised expert in Chinese OC, about the reach of Chinese OC, the growth of state-sponsored crime, and the challenges of policing OC with a 43-force structure.

INTERVIEW: Dr Joe Whittaker, Programme Director of the MA in Cyber Crime & Terrorism at Swansea University, spoke to Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth about his research into extremists’ use of the internet, the unintended consequences of the removal of terrorist content online, and the need for policing to recognise that while the internet is often integral to radicalisation, most terrorists and extremists are involved in offline physical networks that play an important role in the process.

INTERVIEW: With concerns over the rise in poor mental health in policing, new research by criminologist and former police officer Dr Mark Brain, now an Associate Lecturer at the University of the West of England, suggests that far from being a product of exposure to traumatic incidents, mental ill-health in policing is largely driven by organisational issues such as poor management of professional standards investigations and an ongoing organisational “machismo” culture, reports Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

INTERVIEW: Ahead of this month’s American Society of Evidence-Based Policing Conference, American University Associate Professor Dr Janice Iwama spoke to Policing Insight’s Christine Townsend about her research into how peer support programmes are designed and delivered in practice, the need to view them as part of wider organisational culture, and why such initiatives require ongoing attention to training and support.

INTERVIEW: Forces across England and Wales need to give a greater priority to vehicle theft and recognise it as often a key component in organised crime, says Surrey Assistant Chief Constable Sarah Grahame, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead on vehicle crime, who spoke to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons about the growing focus on ports to target the many stolen cars and parts shipped overseas, and the need to collaborate more closely with industry and technology partners.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Ahead of next month’s SAS webinar on trusted AI for policing, Policing Insight spoke with former long-serving Queensland Police officer John Kilburn about the real impact of AI in law enforcement. The discussion highlights the opportunities AI presents, and the critical need for agencies to be clear about their objectives; it also reinforces that the true value of AI is only realised when underpinned by strong governance, defined guardrails, and complete transparency, building trust within both the police workforce and the communities they serve.

INTERVIEW: Following the launch of the UK’s National Knife Crime Centre (NKCC), Commander Stephen Clayman, the officer leading the centre, spoke to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons about the role of the NKCC, efforts to “join up the dots” to tackle the sale and importation of knives, and the need to improve both data collection and understanding around knife crime.

INTERVIEW: Following the recent launch of the UK Government’s new Road Safety Strategy, former senior police officer Ruth Purdie, CEO of the Road Safety Trust, spoke to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons about the need for more support for policing’s role in preventing and detecting crime on the roads, alongside “system-wide” change, better sharing of best practice and greater use of technology, if the strategy is to be implemented effectively.

ANALYSIS: With responsibility for the Police Race Action Plan (PRAP) for England and Wales now shifting from a central team to individual forces, Policing Insight’s Ian Weinfass examines the impact and legacy of the work done over the past five years, and speaks to stakeholders about the role of leadership and how the PRAP should be shaping policing in the future.

INTERVIEW: A new Police Public Safety Officer (PPSO) role has been created by Northern Territory Police Force to patrol public transport, government housing projects and anti-social behaviour hotspots, in a bid to improve visibility, target low-level crime and free up general duties officers to focus on more serious offending, as Acting Assistant Commissioner Brendan Muldoon explained to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

INTERVIEW: Ahead of this week’s first UK National Response Policing Conference, ACC Matt Boyle, the National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Response Policing, spoke to Policing Insight’s Christine Townsend about changing perception of the response role as a specialism in its own right, the importance of response officers in the investigation process, and the need to recognise the role as the interaction where the public experience policing most directly.

INTERVIEW: An Edinburgh Napier University evaluation of Police Scotland’s roll-out of Naloxone found the approach had helped to save lives and build trust with communities; Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons spoke to two of those involved in the evaluation, Visiting Professor and former Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie, and Dr Inga Heyman, Associate Professor of Policing and Public Health, who argue that the more people should be training and equipped with the anti-overdose drug.

INTERVIEW: Deanna Cantrell, a former chief of police and now Director of Law Enforcement Partnerships for Axon, believes leaders need to adopt a “policing inside out” approach by applying the lessons learned from community engagement to leading their own teams – especially those young-in-service officers whose input is often overlooked when it comes to decision-making – as she explained to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

INNOVATION: A “revolutionary” suite of tech tools developed as part of the Tackling Organised Exploitation (TOEX) programme’s Capabilities Environment is now being made available to all police forces in England and Wales, to assist with complex investigations into child sexual exploitation and abuse as well as other serious crime, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

INTERVIEW: The Early Awareness of Stalking Intervention (EASI) team now in place in West Midlands Police is leading to an increasing number of stalking protection orders issued, a longer-term approach to supporting victims, and better monitoring and interventions with perpetrators, as Detective Superintendent Adam Jobson, the force’s lead for domestic abuse and stalking, explained to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

INTERVIEW: Departing HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary Sir Andy Cooke spoke to Policing Insight’s Ian Weinfass about his time in charge of scrutinising police forces, the “national disgrace” of court delays faced by victims, and why he believes the Government’s planned major reforms – including significant new powers for the inspectorate – are a once in a generation opportunity to make communities safer.