Opinion

ANALYSIS: The changing nature of the modern terrorist threat has meant that the UK government’s response has also had to evolve; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the background to the UK’s CONTEST strategy, it’s political and policing inputs and implications, and how the strategy has evolved to meet that changing threat.

ANALYSIS: The public disorder that took place across cities and towns in the UK at the start of August was the worst seen for several years, and prompted concerns over the police ability to respond, and the tactics employed; Policing Insight’s Graham Wettone, a former police officer and a subject matter expert on public order and protest groups, looks at the events of the past month, the evolution of public order policing, and what other options may be available to forces.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: The Inspire Justice Awards is the UK’s only awards programme that celebrates the achievements of the entire justice sector workforce. Hosting the awards on 12 September is journalist and TV presenter Clive Myrie. Ahead of the big day we spoke to Clive about his life and career and why it is important to recognise the hidden heroes of the justice system.

OPINION: The recent HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services report into the Metropolitan Police Service made difficult reading, with the force graded as less than adequate in seven out of eight performance areas; author and former Met Chief Superintendent John Sutherland believes that for the force to recover, there needs to be greater understanding and acknowledgement of the reasons behind the current crisis.

OPINION: Amid concerns that the recent riots in the UK were fuelled by misinformation spread on social media, some have questioned whether the Online Safety Act passed last year needs to be revisited; however, Associate Professor Dr Olivia Brown and Postdoctoral Researcher Dr Alicia Cork of the University of Bath argue that with parts of the Act not due to come into effect until late 2024, the effectiveness of the legislation won’t be fully understood until it has been tested in another situation like the recent riots.

INNOVATION: Advances in the application of artificial intelligence and other new technology have huge potential for transforming the criminal justice system in areas such as video redaction, risk assessment and forensic biotechnology; Simon Randall, CEO of privacy and security specialists Pimloc, explores some of those opportunities to increase effectiveness, as well as the challenges the new tech presents.

OPINION: While attempts to tackle the issue of illegal drugs through decriminalisation in the US and Canada have been less than successful, former Police Scotland Superintendent Martin Gallagher argues that as traditional enforcement measures have failed, it’s time for a bolder approach to drug use and consumption, with regulating, legitimising and taxing supply a crucial step towards true change and rehabilitation.

OPINION: With falling trust and confidence in UK policing increasingly a matter for public debate and media headlines, University of Hull Policing Degree Programme Director and former officer Mike McKue looks more closely at the some of the reasons behind the decline, the definitions and differences between the two terms, and what can be done to address the issues.

INNOVATION: As advances in technology bring huge potential into forensic investigation, Shashi Angadi, Chief Technology Officer of data software specialists Exterro, explores the fascinating world of forensic science and how advanced software and tools are making crime-solving faster, more accurate, and much more collaborative.

OPINION: Against a backdrop of rapid technological advancement, societal change, and the need for continuous improvement, Canterbury Christ Church University Senior Lecturer in Policing, Dr David Lydon, argues that incorporating futurists into policing could redefine approaches to public safety, enhance community trust, and empower police personnel to navigate the future operating environment with confidence and foresight.

OPINION: The New Zealand Government is continuing its crackdown on gangs, with a new specialist National Gang Unit and a ban on wearing gang patches in public among measures set out in planned legislation; but Auckland University of Technology Associate Professor Antje Deckert, and University of Melbourne Professor Juan Tauri, argue the proposals ignore research evidence that such policies are likely to backfire.

ADVERTISEMENT PROMOTION: Ahead of this year’s Inspire Justice Awards ceremony supported by Policing Insight and Policing TV, Skills for Justice spoke to Andy Cooke QPM DL, Chief Inspector at HMICFRS, one of a number of senior figures who will be taking to the stage to present Inspire Justice Awards finalists with their coveted trophies. Andy reflects on the past few years at the inspectorate and shares his take on what makes those working behind the scenes in the justice sector so special.

ANALYSIS: While the annual cost of policing in Canada approaches $20 billion, violent crime and homicide rates have increased significantly; University of Ottawa Professor Emeritus Irvin Waller, and Carleton University PhD candidate Jeffrey Bradley, argue that programs tackling risk factors give a better return on investment, pointing to the success of such schemes in the UK and US as indicators of what can be achieved.

INNOVATION: With the opportunities offered to policing by artificial intelligence (AI) a key conversation at the recent Cumberland Lodge Police Conference, Martin Taylor, Deputy Chief Executive of Content Guru, explores the potential for AI to enhance the delivery of services by policing, and the importance of reframing and redefining the debate around this new technology.

OPINION: With the proliferation of mobile phone and CCTV footage capturing physical and sometimes violent confrontations between officers and suspects, former Police Scotland Superintendent Martin Gallagher fears that, unless the service and the wider criminal justice system can underline the importance of public co-operation with the police – and explain that in certain circumstances such confrontations are necessary and inevitable – the British model of policing by consent could soon disappear.

INNOVATION: In the latest in a series of articles exploring the opportunities and challenges presented to police by the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI), Chief Philip Lukens explains why he believes that police departments should avoid labelling AI transcription of body cam footage as report writing.

OPINION: After three years as the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Child Protection Abuse and Investigation, earlier this month former Merseyside Deputy Chief Constable Ian Critchley took up a new role at the College of Policing; in this article he looks back over his time in post, highlights the continuing efforts of police and partners to protect children from abuse, and calls on governments to take action to tackle what has become a ‘public health crisis’.

OPINION: Having been elected as President of Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales earlier this month, Supt Nick Smart sets out some of the challenges facing officers in the superintending ranks – particularly around morale and wellbeing – and how the Association is aiming to shape reforms that will benefit the rank as well as the communities they serve.

ANALYSIS: New research from the Australian Institute of Criminology has found that one in five Australians has perpetrated sexual violence; but Professor Kate Fitz-Gibbon of Monash University and Research Fellow Dr Hayley Boxall of the Australian National University warn that the real rate of offending may be even higher, and that more research focusing on perpetrators rather than reports to police is essential to uncover the true scale of the problem.

OPINION: Already a criminal offence in the UK and parts of Australia, coercive control in intimate relationships looks set to be crimimalized in Canada under legislation making its way through the Senate; but PhD student Eden Hoffer and Professor Nadine Wathen of Western University, Ontario, argue that – because of the nature of the criminal justice system, and gender-neutral policies – criminalizing coercive control could also criminalize more women victim-survivors of intimate partner violence.

INNOVATION: In the latest in a series of articles exploring the opportunities and challenges presented to police by the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI), Chief Philip Lukens explores how this new technology can be used to improve officers’ decision-making in particularly complex and stressful situations such as the use of force.

OPINION: Taiwan’s police forces are known for their professionalism and expertise, particularly in areas such as terrorism, cybercrime and human trafficking; but China’s continuing successful efforts to block Taiwan’s membership of Interpol weakens the organisation and sends the wrong political signals – a situation which Dr John Coyne of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute believes needs to be addressed at Interpol’s next General Assembly in Glasgow in November.

OPINION: Police in the UK have little discretion to resolve cases involving hate speech with an out-of-court sanction, although an evaluation of this approach recorded reduced reoffending and successful completion rates; Penelope Gibbs, Director of campaign group Transform Justice, believes education of those committing one-off hate speech crimes could be much more effective than court fines, and could reassure victims that such behaviour wouldn’t be repeated.

ANALYSIS: With Yvette Cooper now in post as the UK’s first Labour Home Secretary in 14 years, Policing Insight’s Ian Wiggett looks at the legacy she is inheriting, the lessons that can be learnt from the last Labour government, and the challenges Ms Cooper will face in successfully delivering meaningful and positive change in policing against a backdrop of an overstretched criminal justice system.