Opinion

OPINION: Policing, like much of the public sector, is based on a legacy structure, with leaders progressing through the ranks; but Devon and Cornwall Chief Inspector Steve Lenney wonders what would happen if visionary private-sector leaders saw an opportunity to deliver improved policing services and make a profit?

OPINION: News that the Home Office is considering reintroducing league tables for the performance of police forces in England and Wales against six key crime types was criticised last week by police leaders and staff associations; Former chief superintendent Owen West shares some of his own experiences of the negative impact of police targets, and why they can have a damaging effect on community relations.

OPINION: Levels of violent crime across America saw an unprecedented increase in 2020; in this latest essay from the Violence Reduction Project, Nick Selby, former Director of Cyber Intelligence and Investigations for NYPD, sets out why funding mental health teams staffed by clinicians and cops would be a smarter way to reduce violence and deaths.

OPINION: In the latest in his series of bi-monthly articles, Superintendent Simon Nelson, President of the Disabled Police Association, looks at the unnecessary impact of the job-related fitness test on those with disabilities, and calls for a wider conversation about the appropriateness of the test for a changing workforce.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Involved in policing for over 30 years, the end of 2020 marked Mike Cunningham’s departure from his pivotal role as Chief Executive of the College of Policing (CoP). This year, continuing on his mission to drive change across the sector, Mike has joined Skills for Justice as an associate; here he talks with Toby Lindsay, Principal Consultant for Leadership, Management and Organisation Development (OD), about the skills he deems essential to the future of policing.

FEATURE: Several studies over recent years have highlighted the issues around mental health, stress and fatigue faced by blue light workers, but awareness hasn’t always led to action; Debra Kettle of KIM Software Solutions, organisers of a new series of wellbeing webinars for the emergency services, hopes the shared experiences and discussions will help to turn the rhetoric into reality.

OPINION: Both the Commission for Countering Extremism and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services have put forward new terminology to describe extremist organisations and activities in the UK; but Professor Chris Allen of the University of Leicester believes the new definitions could create more problems than they solve.

OPINION: Levels of violent crime across America saw an unprecedented increase in 2020; in this latest essay from the Violence Reduction Project, former police officer and current police reservist Steve Bellow outlines what Black communities want from policing – and why its important to listen to the people, rather than experts, academics and civic leaders.

OPINION: The findings of the recent Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities Report have been called into question by a number of campaign and community groups; but police ethics advisor Montell Neufville believes that among the recommendations are some important messages for prospective PCCs and mayors on public scrutiny and police-community relations.

OPINION: Serious public disorder has been a regular feature of news bulletins in recent weeks, from Bristol and Clapham Common to Belfast and Ballymena; public order expert and former chief superintendent Owen West believes a lack of clarity over coronavirus regulation has been a major factor – and if unresolved, could lead to a summer of potentially violent unrest.

FEATURE: Forty years ago this month, rioting erupted in Brixton – and later in 1981 across the country – leading to one of the most significant inquiries into policing in the UK; in the first of a two-part feature, Dr Wendy Laverick of Hull University and Professor Peter Joyce of Wrexham Glyndŵr University explore the context and key recommendations for police reform from the Scarman report.

OPINION: Canada already has strict gun laws in place, at least in comparison to its US neighbour; but Carleton University’s Noah Schwartz believes that attempts to introduce new American-style firearms legislation could create confusion and inconsistencies, while doing little to dissuade criminals from using guns.

OPINION: Levels of violent crime across America saw an unprecedented increase in 2020; in this latest essay from the Violence Reduction Project, former NYPD Chief of Department Louis Anemone sets out some specific policing strategies for reducing violence in the city, including increased solo foot patrols, a reduction in specialised roles, and an embargo on sworn officers filling administrative posts.

OPINION: While COVID-19 and other immediate challenges have seen many sectors including policing focus on the present, the challenges of the future still need to be considered and addressed; Police Superintendents’ Association President Paul Griffiths looks at some of the key issues highlighted by futures thinking, and the steps the service should be taking to address them.

OPINION: The murder of Sarah Everard, and the review into the policing of the Clapham Common vigil, have highlighted key issues around police action in the UK and public confidence; London Policing College Director Rod Jarman, a former senior Met Police officer, explores some of those wider concerns, and outlines steps the service could take to promote reassurance and real change.

POLICING FRIENDSHIP TOUR: From maps and medical supplies to sleeping bags and the SmartLav+, preparations are now well underway for Policing Insight Publisher Bernard Rix, as he gets ready to embark on the Policing Friendship Tour, a walking tour of UK police forces to raise funds and awareness of police wellbeing; but with lockdown restrictions still limiting accommodation options, suitable sites to pitch a tent are at a premium – so can you help?

OPINION: With UK policing seemingly under constant scrutiny and a barrage of criticism, former Derbyshire Police officer Rob Smallwood, now a Senior Lecturer at Staffordshire University's Institute of Policing, considers what drives allegiance to policing, and the sense of shared commitment to the police oath.

OPINION: Levels of violent crime across America saw an unprecedented increase in 2020; in this latest essay from the Violence Reduction Project, Professor Justin Nix argues that revisiting a successful St Louis ‘consent to search’ project which took more than 400 guns off the street could reduce violence and save lives.

OPINION: From policing the pandemic and public order to undue political influence, the impact on officer wellbeing and the lack of nuanced, detailed debate about what society wants from its police service, it’s clear that law enforcement in the UK is facing significant challenges; author and former Met Police Chief Superintendent John Sutherland sets out some of those key challenges, along with an 11-step blueprint for how the service can respond to them.

INTERVIEW: Ahead of this week’s launch of the UK’s new Police Digital Service, Policing Insight Deputy Editor Sarah Gibbons spoke to CEO Ian Bell about the transition from the Police ICT Company,the pace of technological change in policing, and the aims and ambitions of the new organisation.

INTERVIEW: A six-month trial of armed response teams in New Zealand last year didn’t lead to the routine arming of officers; now New Zealand Police Association President Chris Cahill is calling for a national firearms register to be urgently introduced, to cut the number of guns going to criminals, as Policing Insight Deputy Editor Sarah Gibbons reports.

OPINION: Frustrated at being unheard, and feeling – in the context of protest at least – they are losing the battle of public opinion, UK policing has been left to fight alone in a no-win situation; what happens next is crucial, says public order expert and former Chief Superintendent Owen West, and cannot be allowed to risk the covenant between police and communities.

OPINION: The COVID-19 crisis has reignited the debate around resilience and emergency preparedness in the UK; police officer and former army reservist Jonny Briggs believes the creation of a Civil Defence Service – a structure which already exists in many other countries – could provide invaluable support for the emergency services in times of crisis and high demand.

OPINION: The rise of the white nationalist movement in the US and the riots at the Capitol in January have led to calls for more powers to target what has been labelled as domestic terrorism; but Professor David Cunningham of Washington University warns that, as attempts to crackdown on the KKK in 1960s America demonstrate, expanding police powers to tackle specific groups can have unintended consequences.