Opinion

Opinion: Last week, the policing world came together to celebrate the best of policing at the World Class Policing Awards 2019. techUK's Justice and Emergency Services Programme Manager Jessica Russell reflects on the evening and the importance of collaboration.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: In the first of a two-part interview, former Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria and now Victims' Commissioner Dame Vera Baird QC talks to Policing Insight about the Victims’ Strategy and Victims’ Code, and her own role in ensuring that victims of crime are treated with decency and dignity.

INTERVIEW: The scale and cost of Police ICT makes it a highly risky venture with no guarantee of success so how does the police service embrace new and emerging technology without risking vast amounts of money? Policing Insight talks to Assistant Chief Officer Hacer Evans, Director of the Digital Policing Portfolio, about the 'Digital Policing Accelerator'.

OPINION: Though many new technology programmes introduced to policing have been plagued with difficulty, one recent programme has been met with overwhelming enthusiasm. Chief Inspector Martin Gallagher, Deputy Business Lead for Police Scotland's Mobile Working Project, describes its success.

CONFERENCE REPORT: The number of countries that attended this year's Australia & New Zealand Police Society of Evidence Based Policing Conference in Canberra reflects a growing understanding of the importance of embedding evidence based policing in wider law enforcement activity. Dr Steve Watts gives a flavour of this year's conference.

Opinion: There have been calls for a new code to regulate the police use of Automated Facial Recognition technology, but Surveillance Camera Commissioner Tony Porter says the current Surveillance Camera Code of Practice could be updated to provide the police service with advice on using AFR.

Opinion: Former Deputy Chief Constable of North Yorkshire and now a strategic adviser on police and technology Paul Kennedy explores the potential of AI and automation for policing and whether the service is positioned to embrace new technologies.

Opinion: In the third of three articles, former Australian police officer and public speaker Shane Mallory explores the notion of security in modern culture and what this means for our society.

Opinion: All workplaces have their own 'culture' and policing is no exception. In the second of three articles, former Australian police officer and public speaker Shane Mallory says understanding that workforce culture 'is feeling' is the necessary starting point to enabling change.

OPINION: How sex and gender identity should be defined in law and policy has become one of the most controversial of contemporary debates. The role of the police is in turn a topic of considerable contention. Dr Kath Murray, a Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, warns that police forces must acknowledge both perspectives in the debate for the sake of their own legitimacy.

Opinion: In this insightful and thought-provoking blog, Dr Dev Maitra of the University of Suffolk examines the riots that took place in the UK in 2011 and how the subsequent under analysis of what happened hampers our understanding of serious youth violence.

Interview: Social media provides a powerful tool for police to communicate with communities but criminal justice media expert Lauri Stevens tells Policing Insight police forces are not harnessing the full potential of online networks.

INTERVIEW: Former head of the National Crime Agency's Drugs Threat and Intelligence Tony Saggers tells Policing Insight there has never been a 'war on drugs' and the time has come to adopt a different approach to tackling the problem.

Opinion: Policing is in need of a drastic cultural shift away from its current process and control driven state. Former Australian police officer and now public speaker Shane Mallory discusses the fear and suspicion that currently plagues police culture and how to address it.

INTERVIEW: Warwickshire OPCC are to fund 11 road safety organisations as part of a major strategy to reduce casualties following a 160 per cent increase in road this year. Warwickshire PCC Philip Seccombe explains how the strategy will work and Annette Lloyd who runs The Honest Truth tells Policing Insight why her organisation was chosen.

Opinion: Between 2015 and 2017, the cost of organised crime to Australia increased exponentially to $36 billion. Based on the figures, Dr John Coyne from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute argues the current 'Whac-a-Mole' policing approach to tackling the problem isn't working.

Interview: Release's Y-Stop project is by young people for young people, supporting and guiding them on communicating effectively with the police during a Stop and Search. Youth Lead and Associate Researcher Amal Ali talks to Policing Insight about the project and why it's important young people have a voice.

Opinion: The high-profile case of a 15 year-old convicted of trying to build a bomb has highlighted the importance of early intervention to combat extremism, via the Government's Prevent strategy. Policing Insight contributor Andrew Staniforth outlines the tension between free speech and trust in the classroom and the importance of preventing the ever-increasing radicalisation of young people.

Opinion: Health and wellbeing are high on the agenda with many forces looking for ways to offer better support for their employees. Simon Hall, CEO of PoliceBox, says a significant stressor is poor technology. Here he examines its impact on officers' and staff health and wellbeing.

OPINION: The number of rapes reported has soared but convictions are at an all-time low. Ian Wiggett highlights the challenges of a Crown Prosecution Service under pressure, growing demands of disclosure in a digital world and police forces struggling with demand and a shortage of resources.

OPINION: Racial disparities in stop and search has hit the headlines once again in response to an upsurge in violent crime. Dr Rashid Minhas of the University of West London suggests that a lack of diversity in police forces themselves could be contributing to the difference in experiences of stop and search.

Interview: In the second part of our exclusive interview, former Chief Constable of Bedfordshire Jon Boutcher talks about his current role leading the independent investigation into the activities of ‘Stakeknife’, a state agent involved in kidnap, torture and murder by the Provisional IRA in Northern Ireland in the 1980s.

Opinion: Home Secretary Priti Patel recently announced section 60 Stop and Search powers would be relaxed to make the process quicker and more effective. Stop and Search Lead and Chair of Bedfordshire Community Scrutiny Panel Montell Neufville questions this approach along with other 'myths' surrounding stop and search.

INTERVIEW: As terrorists continue to hijack social media to recruit and spread propaganda, cyber terrorism expert Professor Stuart Macdonald tells Policing Insight how terrorists are exploiting smaller platforms and the continuing challenges social media companies face in removing online terrorist content.