Opinion

OPINION: Coverage of protesters storming the Capitol Building in Washington DC was watched around the world, with many questioning the ease with which rioters gained entry to the heart of federal government; Tom Nolan, Associate Professor of Sociology at Emmanuel College, Boston, believes the events of the day will be viewed by many experts as ‘an international embarrassment for American law enforcement’.

OPINION: In 2020 the UK took a number of steps to strengthen its resilience and defence against cyber attack, at a time when millions more people began working remotely; but as Policing Insight's Andy Staniforth reports, despite the efforts of law enforcement and security agencies, the cyber threat landscape still looks pretty bleak.

OPINION: Embarking on academic study is challenging, particularly for anyone with a specific learning difficulty and few formal educational qualifications; but with the right support from policing and academia, real achievement is possible, explains Essex Police Sgt Ben Forbes, British Citizen Award winner and now First-Class BSc Honours graduate.

FEATURE: With public confidence in policing high on the agenda of many forces, Dubai Police has developed new initiatives around citizen focus, community engagement and victim support to help deliver greater customer satisfaction; Dubai Police consultant Jorge Román and Captain Dr Abdullah Al Shaikh, Head of the force’s Victim Support Programme, explain the approach.

OPINION: Nigerian public protests against the country's notorious SARS police, led largely by young people, seemed to secure a victory when President Buhari agreed to disband the unit; but any sense of celebration has turned sour, with the Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) appearing to be a new label for an old institution, says Duke University Assistant Professor Samuel Fury Childs Daly.

OPINION: The announcement in November of a multi-million pound counter-terror centre for the UK which brings together police and the security services was rightly welcomed; but as Policing Insight's Andrew Staniforth reports, moving forwards the relationship between community policing and counter-terrorism will be crucial to negating the wide array of terrorist and extremist threats.

OPINION: COVID-19 has undoubtedly placed significant pressures on UK policing, but the unique environment, coupled with advances in technology and continuing recruitment efforts, have also created potential benefits; Boyd Mulvey, founder and CEO of Chorus Intelligence Ltd, explores the threats and opportunities presented by the pandemic.

OPINION: The balance between professional judgement in policing and following an ethical framework is a delicate one. However, Dr Emma Williams argues that too much focus on consistent professional standards can not only stifle discretion, but can lead to moral distress when officers find that guidance challenges their own moral judgements.

OPINION: While much has rightly been made of the impact of the UK leaving the EU in relation to information sharing and legislative powers, far less has been discussed about how Brexit could affect innovation collaborations between UK and European policing partners; and as Policing Insight's Andy Staniforth suggests, maintaining such partnerships will need to be a policing priority.

OPINION: Steve Ainsworth, Director of Operational Safety at Northgate Public Services, argues that taking a less linear approach to the chain of custody could help forces use forensic evidence in a more proactive way.

FEATURE: When drones piloted by rogue operators targeted Gatwick Airport in 2018, the costs of the resulting disruption, delays, closures and investigations are estimated to have exceeded £50 million; the incident also acted as a wake-up call for the aviation and security industries, as Policing Insight's Andrew Staniforth reports.

OPINION: There are calls for a return to ‘pre-charge bail’ in the UK, which was radically changed and widely replaced by ‘released under investigation’ conditions in 2017; but Penelope Gibbs, Director of Transform Justice, fears the move is being driven by assumptions rather than research or real evidence about what is most effective.

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS: Our Publisher, Bernard Rix, reflects on Policing Insight’s last 12 months, sets out our Christmas and New Year schedule, and takes a look on what we’re planning for 2021...

OPINION: For those still having to deal with the pandemic and police the latest round of COVID-19 restrictions, festive good wishes seem strangely out of place; perhaps, as Policing Insight Editor Keith Potter suggests, the best we can hope for is a lockdown-induced, crime-free Christmas, and – when it finally arrives – a well-deserved break.

Top Articles 2020: Policing Insight Editor Keith Potter leads the team in selecting their favourite articles published in 2020. The editorial team have each selected their ‘Top 10’ picks and we have made them freely available during the Christmas period for all users with at least a free registered account. We hope you enjoy our selections!

INTERVIEW: While many police organisations and leaders struggle to use social media effectively, Northamptonshire Chief Constable Nick Adderley regularly engages in Twitter exchanges with the wider public, while also vlogging to his own staff; Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons spoke to Mr Adderley about his online profile, his efforts to ensure openness, and why he believes good leaders need to ‘keep their hand in’.

FEATURE: The most recent @WeCops Twitter chat focused on domestic abuse and the impact of COVID-19, exploring issue around how the pandemic has changed the reporting and response, how partners and support agencies have coped, and what lessons police have learned; Thames Valley Police Superintendent and WeCops team member Katy Barrow-Grint pulls together the key points from the debate.

OPINION: Being a police officer was Sam Smith’s dream job, but when his mental health began to suffer as a result of his career choice, the lack of resilience training and minimal support meant the dream turned sour; now the former Hertfordshire PC has launched the Green Ribbon Policing campaign, calling for a mandatory national standard for mental health within policing.

INTERVIEW: Former Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner Bob Paulson looks at the problems the force faces around diversity and discrimination, the effects of unionisation, concerns over militarisation of the RCMP, and fears over the wider erosion of police independence, in the second part of his interview with Policing Insight.

OPINION: The digital data trail each of us leaves online is commonly used by commercial organisations to target marketing and sales efforts; but as Dr Roberto Musotto, a Research Fellow at Western Australia’s Edith Cowan University explains, ‘social network analysis’ could be a crucial tool in enabling judges and jurors to assess the value of evidence in complex cases.

OPINION: Only 3% of the estimated 3.8 million UK fraud offences in 2019 resulted in a prosecution, and the pandemic has presented fraudsters with the perfect climate to carry out more crimes; Waheed Saleem, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner in the West Midlands, believes an overhaul of fraud reporting and a new coordinated policing response are crucial to fighting the fraudsters.

FEATURE: London Policing College’s recent Policing in the Time of Pandemic conference included a focus on COVID-19’s impact on domestic abuse and harmful practices; Polly Harrar, founder of The Sharan Project and Joint Chair of the London Harmful Practices Working Group, highlights the key messages from the workshops held ahead of the conference, and the lessons for policing moving forwards.

OPINION: Tackling the county lines drug trade and protecting vulnerable youngsters exploited by dealers is a challenge for many UK forces, and was the key focus for the @WeCops Twitter chat at the end of November; in this article @WeCops Dr Emma Williams brings together the main points from the debate.

INTERVIEW: A 24/7 digital contact management system being pioneered by Surrey Police could improve relations with reluctant to engage communities and strengthen neighbourhood policing; Chief Constable Gavin Stephens tells Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons how the digital approach could help to rebuild public trust.