Opinion

INTERVIEW: Director of Staff Absence Solutions Ltd Mark Eastwood has worked in the rail industry for many years treating employees following traumatic rail-related incidents. Now working with police forces, Mr Eastwood tells Policing Insight how, with the right support, officers and staff can recover from psychological and physiological conditions caused by work.

INTERVIEW: Exclusive: Greater collaboration and more licensing agreements are high on the new head of the Police ICT Company’s to-do list. CEO Ian Bell outlines the direction of travel for the company.

OPINION: The murder of Stephen Lawrence 25 years ago changed Britain - and British policing - for good. Benjamin Bowling, Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, King's College London, recalls the case, and reflects on the challenges still facing policing today.

OPINION: Locard’s Exchange Principle is based on the idea that every contact leaves a trace and is taught on almost every forensic science course around the globe. Veteran Army Commando and MD of Selfless Leadership Paul Kinkaid applies the principle to leadership and examines what 'traces' make a great leader.

OPINION: International policing missions are complex and challenging, and it is difficult for practitioners to share lessons from the ground. A workshop in Lisbon last year brought together experts from the field. Dr Georgina Sinclair of Strategic Expertise International introduces the background to the workshop, and its outputs - a set of essays that Policing Insight is now serialising.

OPINION: Policing is stressful at the best of times, but right now it seems to be under pressure from all sides. Serving officer Sgt. Harry Tangye ponders what advice would he give to someone thinking of joining the police today.

Opinion: CCTV of a mentally ill man being sprayed with capsicum spray, pinned to the ground by six police officers and hit with a baton in Melbourne quickly went viral, appalling many including Dr Isabelle Bartkowiak-Théron of the Tasmanian Institute of Law Enforcement Studies who works closely with the Australian police. She asks what can we learn from this.

Opinion: CCTV technology has been in place for many years now so why the need for super recognisers? Former DCI and now CEO of Super Recognisers International Mike Neville explains how super recognisers add value to CCTV imagery, linking crimes and even identifying terror suspects.

OPINION: Policing is a service that should be held to the highest standards, but constant attacks from the media and politicians reflect a shallow understanding of the job. Ashley Kilgallon, a doctoral researcher at the University of Leeds, warns that such simplistic critiques are legitimising the destruction of a public service.

OPINION: As London suffers an epidemic of knife crime, and more officers break under the strain, the government narrative still appears to be unrelentingly negative. Former Chief Superintendent John Sutherland warns that it is time to confront this, and to talk realistically about what we want from police and policing.

OPINION: Police interviewing methods, often heralded as good practice, can be unhelpful when used with people with autism. Retired officer Phil Morris, who now delivers specialist training in this area, shares his own journey to understanding the best approach to those with autism. 

OPINION: Firearms simulation training has come a long way since its clunky beginnings. Andrew Dann from Dann Developments explains how the training has evolved, what's on the market and how forces can make the most of what's on offer.

ANALYSIS: The sexual exploitation of children is often divided into online and offline abuse - but are these categories useful? Laura Broome, Dr Cristina Izura, and Prof. Nuria Lorenzo-Dus of Swansea University argue that the distinction is not a helpful one and propose a better method of categorising child sexual abuse.

OPINION: Many recent terrorist attacks have been undertaken by individuals, only loosely associated with the source of the ideologies to which they claim adherence. Serving officer Martin Gallagher argues that the polarisation of political debate, and the extreme politics of identity, are leading us into dangerously uncharted territory.

OPINION: Following HMICFRS' observation that forces are not prioritising crime prevention, Evan Morris MBE, former Head of Community Safety for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service and the Chief Fire Officers' Association lead on Ageing Safely Strategy suggests a multi-agency, intelligence-led demand reduction strategy based on WHO Injury Surveillance data could offer a way forward.

OPINION: The latest wave of murders in London has caused deep concern, with calls for a police crackdown on the violence. Prof. James Treadwell of Staffordshire University explains why such a crackdown may not work - unless it's backed by more police resources.

INSIGHT: Last week was National Autism Awareness Week during which the National Police Autism Association (NPAA) published a number of powerful blogs dispelling some myths around autism and raising awareness. The blogs reveal how one force has changed its approach to detainees with autism, but also how officers who have been diagnosed with autism manage their lives and their jobs.

OPINION: NPCC Lead on Digital Policing Steve Kavanagh says that with the right IT, police officers and staff should see data as a powerful tool, but how can this be achieved? MASS Head of Law Enforcement Business Development Chris Bacon offers a sustainable way forward.

OPINION: Working with partners can have its difficulties. Serving officer Martin Gallagher explains how closer, informal partnership working with local NHS hospitals led to a culture shift in collaboration - and a reduction in demand.

OPINION: Management Consultant and former Head of Innovation for Kent and Essex Police Martin Wilson believes simplifying the police's ICT strategy could bring clarity to what the service is trying to achieve and where it wants to be in the future.

OPINION: The Reform think tank recently published a new report on the potential benefits of technology for blue light services. Reform's Alex Hitchcock reflects on the technological opportunities available.

OPINION: Child sexual exploitation was the focus of the Home Affairs Committee’s ongoing Policing for the Future Inquiry this month. As the police continue to battle growing numbers of reports, both current and non-recent cases, frustrated senior police leaders tell MPs much of the online child sexual exploitation is preventable.

OPINION: Evan Morris MBE, the former Head of Community Safety for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, believes the merger of police and fire services could provide the perfect opportunity to share intelligence data to improve community safety and confidence. Here, he explains how Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) tackled anti-social behaviour.

OPINION: On 1 December 2017, the Police ICT Company entered into collaboration with a Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME). Boyd Mulvey, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Chorus Intelligence Ltd describes the journey to becoming an approved vendor with the hope of having a single contract with the police service. He reflects on what it’s like to be one of the first SMEs on board, the requirements placed on vendors, and explains why, although imperfect, the process is worth supporting and will give the police market a nudge in the right direction.