Opinion

INTERVIEW: Gary Mason talks with National Police Chiefs' Council lead Steve Barry about current and future plans for drone use, the legislative challenges to be overcome, and the problems surrounding governance

Opinion: In 2014, Staffordshire Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis first commissioned a report into incidents police attended that involved someone with a mental illness. Three years on and Staffordshire has made considerable strides in reducing the number of those suffering mental ill health in custody, but there is still much to be done.

INSIGHT: Supporting Justice have launched a new quality mark to promote standards in victim care services. Chief Executive Anne Warren explains why the quality mark is needed and how it is assessed

Interview: David Lloyd, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, has been elected as the Chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC).  He tells Syreeta Lund what his plans are for the organisation.

Opinion: Gloucestershire Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl explains the impact of his Commissioner's Fund on the most vulnerable in the community.  

OPINION: The National Police Air Service was formed in 2012, serving all 43 forces in England and Wales. With recent technological advances, and in particular the advent of drones, @wecops recently held a discussion on the current state and future of air support, hosted by Chief Constable Simon Byrne. Serving officer Dan Reynolds summarises the debate.

Interview: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) recently signed a seven-year £8 million contract with MASS (part of Cohort PLC) to provide a digital forensics (DF) managed service aiming to maximise integration, collaboration and efficiency. Tina Orr-Munro speaks to Chris Johnson, MASS Head of Law Enforcement Business Development.

Opinion: Dawn Probert, Senior Consultant for Skills for Justice, looks at the misconceptions of apprenticeships and the help available to those wanting to embrace enthusiastic staff.

OPINION: Recent headlines about gender gaps at the BBC and at Google show that employees’ perceptions of fairness in the workplace matter - but how does that translate to a policing context? Mark Cooper of Greymalkin Consulting explores the organisational benefits of treating officers and staff with respect.

Opinion: The challenge for any PCC is to balance the need for reform and reorganisation of services with the expectations of the public they serve. Matthew Ellis, Police and Crime Commissioner for Staffordshire, came into office with a clear focus on modernising police processes to meet changing and more complex crimes, maintaining a strong presence in communities and ensuring value for money for the residents of Staffordshire.

Opinion: Lt Col (Retd) Richard Dorney served in the British Army for more than 38 years. He established the Trauma Risk Management (TRiM) system in the Army and commanded the training team for three years. Here he explains the importance of strong leadership in maintaining morale and mental resiliency.

OPINION: 'Community policing' is now ubiquitous as a phrase, but increasingly, 'reassurance' is being subcontracted. Chief Supt. Owen West argues that police need to empower communities through old-fashioned dialogue, not high-tech solutions.

Insight: Fake photographs have been around for almost as long as the camera, but in a digital age of photography the ability to alter images has never been easier. EU Forensic Video Expert David Spreadborough examines the current challenges surrounding authenticating images.

OPINION: With recruitment to policing still healthy, is the government right that talk of a crisis is overstated? Serving officer Gavin Hall argues this misses the point: retention is the problem, and the service can't afford to lose any more experienced officers.

Opinion: The police's reliance on a paid informant who was a convicted paedophile to help convict 18 people sexually exploiting young women and girls shocked many. Adrian Kingswell, a retired Senior Investigating Officer specialising in covert policing, considers whether the time has come to be more open about police use of Covert Human Intelligence Sources (CHIS).

OPINION: What do Brexit and the transfer of British Transport Police’s functions to Scotland have in common? Kath Murray warns that there are worrying similarities between the two processes - and dangers ahead if either goes badly.

OPINION: In the last of his football policing blogs, Ch. Supt. Owen West puts recent public order theory into action. He reports on policing a medium-risk football match (Bradford City vs Blackpool) with a tiny Police Liaison Team (PLT) focused on engagement, rapport building and problem solving.

OPINION: Police and Crime Commissioner David Munro, the national APCC lead on Equalities, Diversity and Human Rights (EDHR) which oversees stop and search looks at how the powers are being used, amid continued concerns regarding their effectiveness.

OPINION: With over 25 million people travelling on cruise ships every year, it is surprising how little protection and support there is for passengers who are victims of crime. Sam Smith argues that the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the cruise industry need to address the poor standards of crime protection and crime management at sea.

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Bedrock of policing’ is regularly used as a descriptor for neighbourhood or community policing but its current parlous state would suggest that perhaps it isn’t really as cherished as some would have us believe. Humberside PCC Keith Hunter makes the case for neighbourhood policing to regain its position in policing priorities.

OPINION: Is policing going in the right direction? Do we even know, let alone agree, what direction policing is heading? Serving officer Nathan Constable and Emma Williams of Canterbury Christ Church University debate whether policing is on 'the Bus to Abilene'.

OPINION: Former Greater Manchester Police ACC, Ian Wiggett gives his view on the latest developments in police and fire governance and the newly re-branded HMICFRS expanded role to take in fire.

OPINION: The @wecops chat on Wednesday 19th July looked at the controversial Police Educational Qualifications Framework (PEQF), focusing on Recognition of Prior Experience and Learning. It was led by Emma Williams of Canterbury Christ Church University, serving frontline officer Dan Reynolds, and the College of Policing. Dan and Emma recount the debate.

PCC INTERVIEW: A third of police time in Kent is spent dealing with mental health issues, a pattern replicated across the country. Kent PCC Matthew Scott is the deputy portfolio lead on mental health for the national Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC). He speaks to Syreeta Lund about some of the challenges.