Opinion

OPINION: What lessons can international military command offer to policing? Serving officer Martin Gallagher reports from a personal conversation with Gen. David Petraeus.

INTERVIEW: Child death is such a complex area of policing that it has its own sub group within the NPCC Homicide Working Group. As it prepares for its annual conference, NPCC lead on child death Det Chief Supt Eamonn Bridger explains the challenges of investigating this difficult area of policing.

OPINION: Police tactics may disrupt drug supplies, but they cause more crime and even contribute to the use of children as a go-between in county lines, undermining Peel's principles, says former Detective Sergeant and Chair of LEAP UK Neil Woods who argues it's time for drugs laws to be reformed.

OPINION: Automated facial recognition technology is now being trialled by British police forces. However, there are serious potential human rights issues associated with the use of such surveillance. Joe Purshouse of the University of East Anglia and Liz Campbell of Monash University explore the issues, and call for stronger legislation to govern the technology.

OPINION: Policing is in crisis - but what can be done to fix it? Former Chief Superintendent John Sutherland lays out a ten-point plan for what needs to happen next to rescue policing in the UK.

Interview: The Centre for Justice Innovation has published what it says is the most complete survey of point-of-arrest diversion schemes in England and Wales which are intended to tackle low level criminal behaviour. Research Officer Carmen Robin-D'Cruz brings us up to speed on the current provision in England and Wales.

Opinion: In 2015, after experiencing anxiety and depression, Police Sergeant Mark Montgomery tried to take his own life. In a brave and moving account, Mark explains what he went through and how he used his experience to develop a suicide prevention programme for the City of London Police.

OPINION: The latest @wecops chat discussed a new report by Zoe Billingham of HMICFRS which looked at how effectively police respond to and support people with mental health problems. Sgt Caroline Hay summarises the discussion and the learning from it.

OPINION: Knife crime has reached its highest recorded level in eight years prompting the Government to propose a new Knife Crime Prevention Order to help solve the problem, but, in this exclusive article for Policing Insight, Director of Transform Justice Penelope Gibbs asks whether the evidence base exists to support the introduction of KCPOs.

OPINION: Policing is a can-do service, but what happens when illness or disability mean that you can't? Colin Paine is a Detective Chief Superintendent in Thames Valley Police. Here he reflects on his diagnosis of ME/CFS.

Opinion: Whatever the demands of the police service, there is a need for support for the business to run efficiently and economically for the benefit of its citizens.  Benjamyn Damazer, formerly vice-chair of a police authority and now working with Sopra Steria, examines the role for a shared service centre of excellence and asks can the police really continue to do it all themselves?

Interview: Those working in this area are familiar with the concept of the 'revolving door' of crime. Burcu Borysik, Policy Manager for Revolving Doors Agency which has just launched a new project, says Police and Crime Commissioners are key to helping break the cycle.

OPINION: Last week, police leaders and ICT suppliers gathered for the two-day Police ICT Summit 2019 in Hinckley, Leicestershire which attracted over 300 delegates. Based on the presentations, one of those delegates has sent us their 'end-of-conference' progress report on the state of Police ICT.

INTERVIEW: The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse has launched a major new TV campaign for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse to be heard at the Truth Project. Head of Truth Project and Strategy Helen Ryan and Chris Tuck, a member of the Victims and Survivors Consultative Panel and a survivor of child sexual abuse, explain the importance of the Project. 

OPINION: With an increasing emphasis on evidence based policing and greater engagement by police in research activities, Professor Juliet Lodge writes that ethics in police research are just as important as in their operational role.

INTERVIEW: As the Police ICT Summit gets underway this week, Police ICT Company CEO Ian Bell talks to Policing Insight about the challenges he's faced in his first year in the role and what the future holds for Police ICT.

Interview: The cost of scamming in online market places is estimated to be almost £1.7 billion with victims losing £65, on average, although that figure rises to over £90 for older victims. Policing Insight speaks to the UK Head of Marketing and Customer Services for Gumtree – Britain’s market leading online classified ads platform – about the effort that online marketplaces can make to protect their users and how the police can help.  

OPINION: Calls for public access to information about child sex offenders living in local areas are common. However, Maggie Hall of Western Sydney University warns that sex offender registries can also lead to community hysteria, loss of sleep, and vigilante attacks on innocent people.

Interview: On the eve of this year's Police ICT Summit Policing Insight talks to one of this year's exhibitors, Simon Hall who is the co-founder and CEO of Coeus Software, about the barriers to police ICT and how their technology reflects the Policing Vision 2025. 

Interview: Following the rogue drone chaos at Gatwick Airport last month, Policing Insight asks international drone detection expert Professor Garik Markarian of Lancaster University, and CEO of Rinicom Ltd, to explain the operational challenges of detecting illegal drone activity and how authorities can develop their capabilities to prevent further incidents.

Opinion: People are policing's greatest asset, but former officer and now CEO of Mightify Tom Wheelhouse argues the service must be more creative and look for better ways to prevent 'the double whammy of capability and cost walking out of the door'.

Opinion: The creation of the Northern 8 Police Research Partnership is transforming the relationship between police and academics, bringing unique perspectives and practical solutions to policing issues. Policing Insight contributor and Senior Research Fellow at CENTRIC Andrew Staniforth takes a closer look at the N8 PRP.

OPINION: CoPaCC Chief Executive and Policing Insight publisher Bernard Rix takes a look at what could be in store for policing in 2019. It's not just about Brexit...

Opinion: When freelance mental health consultant and writer Toni joined a night shift in December, she found officers suffering 'frustration fatigue' and a job that 'curates and nurtures' poor mental health. However, she argues that solely promoting resilience is not the solution.