Opinion

Opinion: As 2019 draws to a close and a new Government is installed in the UK, Mightify's Tom Wheelhouse publishes his own personal 'manifesto' for the emergency services where he calls for a common sense, people-based positive approach in 2020.

Opinion: In Britain, three quarters of those who die by suicide are male. Prior to taking their own lives, men's behaviour can be markedly different to that of women. As the police service is predominantly male, freelance mental health consultant Toni says it's time the service acknowledges this and develops suicide prevention initiatives specifically for men.

OPINION: Over the past few decades, in pursuit of accountability, policing has become increasingly codified and legislated. Serving officer Martin Gallagher argues that this has not just damaged police discretion, but the capacity of the police to fulfil their core functions: preventing and solving crime.

Opinion: When a police officer is killed in the line of duty, it sends shock waves throughout the police service and the wider community, but how can we ensure their sacrifice is not forgotten? Australian-based Police Mental Health Champion Melissa Gole explores the different ways Australia honours its fallen officers.

Interview: In 2015, Humberside Police became the first force to be awarded an 'inadequate' in the HMICFRS PEEL Assessments and morale was at its lowest ebb. Since then the force has turned itself around. Policing Insight's editor Tina Orr-Munro interviews Humberside PCC Keith Hunter to find out how the force's morale went from the lowest to the highest in the country.

Opinion: The addition of 20,000 new police officers will coincide with the new degree entry qualification requirements, including degree apprenticeships. Former head of Innovation for Kent and Essex police and now senior consultant at Enlighten Training Martin Wilson considers the potential challenges this presents.

Opinion: Last month, Sir George Hamilton, recently retired Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, delivered a keynote address at the annual Police Foundation conference. Published here in full, Sir George explores what the Peelian principle - 'the police are the public and public are the police' - means for 21st century policing.

Opinion: The terror attack on London Bridge has revealed critical aspects of the UK's Counter Terrorism Strategy (CONTEST) are not working. Policing Insight Contributor Andrew Staniforth says the 'Pursue' element of CONTEST should be independently reviewed alongside all current terrorism legislation.

Opinion: With the annual Police ICT Summit approaching in the New Year, Ian Bell, CEO of the Police ICT Company reflects on the progress that has been made since last year's conference and what delegates can look forward to at this year's event.

Opinion: Cybercrime is notoriously difficult to prevent and police. James Slessor, Managing Director of Accenture Public Safety, considers the complexities of digital policing across borders and the effectiveness of the current policing model in combating this.

Insight: The Dubai Police Youth Council was set up in 2017 to enable young people to have a greater say in policies that impacted them as part of a wider UAE initiative. Dubai Police Consultant Jorge J. Román Ph.D explains how the Council works and the impact it has had.

INTERVIEW: In an exclusive interview with Policing Insight, NPCC International Policing Lead and Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police Andy Marsh QPM highlights the crucial role of the Joint International Policing Hub in preventing crime reaching the UK and his ambitions for its future.

Opinion: Kent Police Sergeant Darren Moor has just published the 'ultimate guide to health' for fellow officers and front-line civilian staff. Here he explains what motivated him to write How To Survive Your Police Career and the impact he is hoping it will have.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: In the second part of Policing Insight’s interview with the Victims’ Commissioner, Dame Vera Baird QC explores some of the steps that policing and police and crime commissioners need to take to improve the treatment of, and support for, victims of crime as well as the challenges that lie ahead.

OPINION: While the focus of attention is on the upcoming general election, candidates for the next round of PCC elections are also becoming clear. Nina Champion, Director of the Criminal Justice Alliance, and Phil Bowen, Director of the Centre for Justice Innovation, look at how the race could affect criminal justice policy.

Interview: Technical Expert for Thekking* Steingrímur Fannar Stefánsson tells Policing Insight about an award-winning project to share sensitive digital evidence between the Reykjavik Metropolitan Police and the National University Hospital of Iceland.

ANALYSIS : The way that policing is presented to the public affects public understanding and confidence. Yet documentaries such as The Met often give a very limited and stereotypical account of police work. Dr Emma Williams of Canterbury Christ Church University argues that police and the documentaries that follow them need to focus more on innovative programmes addressing problems at their origin.

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.