Opinion

OPINION: Some vulnerable individuals can contact the police disproportionately often. Supt. Andrea Barrow and Prof. Stuart Kirby of the University of Central Lancashire explain how Lancashire Constabulary has worked together with partners to set up Early Action Teams to deal with vulnerable callers.

OPINION: Bernard Rix, Policing Insight's Publisher, with his personal thoughts on last night's attack in Manchester.

OPINION: What's in the general election manifestos on criminal justice - and more importantly, perhaps, what isn't? Will McMahon, Deputy Director at the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, reads between the lines, and says it's time to look more closely at demand.

Interview: Chief Constable Mick Creedon QPM is set to retire from his role after 37 years as a police officer. In an exclusive interview with Policing Insight, Mr Creedon talks about the impact of the Frank Beck investigation, 'virtual' neighbourhood policing and why the PCC system is flawed.

UK POLICE MEMORIAL: A transcript of Lord Stevens' speech to the Police Federation of England and Wales national conference 2017, calling for support for the new UK Police Memorial.

OPINION: Evidence-based policing is a focus of debate, including over what should count as evidence, and whether the Randomised Control Trial is over-valued. Prof. Kevin Morrell and Prof. Mark Learmonth of Durham University show how a limited definition of 'evidence' can damage understanding of the real world.

CONFERENCE: Are we on the cusp of a step change in policing? A two-day conference in Northampton is asking researchers, leaders, frontline officer and research-active practitioners to debate the issues. Supt Dave Hill, Programme Director for the East Midlands Police Academic Collaboration (EMPAC), explains the background.

OPINION: Officers taking a break have been in the news lately, with both positive and negative public responses. Serving officer Chris Excell summarises a recent @WeCops discussion on the vital need for officers to be able to take a break - publicly or privately - and the underlying issues of police welfare, stress and wellbeing in general.

Opinion: In our continuing series, Policing Insight talks to Gloucestershire Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl about his achievements and the challenges he faces as he completes the first year of his second term in office.

OPINION: Ahead of manifesto launches and the Police Federation conference this week, Policing Insight editor Carina O'Reilly (also a Labour councillor) takes a look at what we can expect from the parties on policing – and whether what they promise matters.

OPINION: How will ongoing police reforms affect the Special Constabulary? Could their future include further integration with regulars - including the use of Taser? Dr Iain Britton, Institute for Public Safety Crime and Justice, reflects on his attendance at the annual national conference of the Association of Special Constabulary Chief Officers’ (ASCCO).

BOOK LAUNCH: "Police Chiefs in the UK: Politicians, HR Managers or Cops?" is a new book by former Met Superintendent Mark Roycroft, now Senior Lecturer in Criminology at the University of East London. Policing Insight Publisher Bernard Rix takes a look at a copy hot off the presses.

Opinion: Met Commissioner Cressida Dick explains why she is supporting the new UK Police Memorial campaign.

Opinion: As she prepares to retire after 30 years in the police service, the College of Policing's Lead on Direct Entry, Chief Superintendent Nicola Dale, looks back on her last three years in post.

OPINION: Evidence-based policing has seen tremendous growth in the last few years, but has yet to reach the 'tipping point' where it becomes the norm. Chief Supt. Owen West argues that what's needed is an appetite for risk, and an investment in frontline officers.

Interview: As the end of their first year in office approaches, Policing Insight talks to Police and Crime Commissioners about their successes and challenges. In our continuing series, Derbyshire PCC Hardyal Dhindsa reflects on the last 12 months in post.

Opinion: Former Chief Constable of Cumbria Stuart Hyde QPM explains how the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is helping to mobilise resources to address cybersecurity.  The Yorkshire and Humberside Counter Security Information Sharing Partnership (CISP) champion and Northern Powerhouse partner, aql®'s CEO Dr Adam Beaumont, has appointed Mr Hyde to promote the CISP to local organisations including business, schools, health and charities.

OPINION: The Cambridge Crime Harm Index offers a new way of measuring crime, by the damage it does rather than the volume of incidents. Supt. Dave Hill and Dr Laura Knights of the East Midlands Policing Academic Collaboration (EMPAC) report on a discussion of what the problems and prospects are for putting the Cambridge Crime Harm Index into practice.

OPINION: Evidence-based policing makes sense in theory - but what about the practice? Serving officer Nathan Constable looks at the problems in embedding new initiatives, and argues that the police service might need to slow down if it wants to speed up the effective implementation of EBP.

Interview: In the second of our new series focusing on Police and Crime Commissioners' achievements in office, West Mercia PCC John Campion discusses protecting neighbourhood policing, modernising the force and cutting the cost of running his office.

Interview: Richard Walton, the former head of Scotland Yard's Counter-Terrorism Command, explains how the UK's CT strategy is working, but with ISIS facing defeat returning fighters and lone attackers will pose a greater threat. 

OPINION: How can football policing be made less confrontational and more family-friendly? Chief Superintendent Owen West of West Yorkshire Police reflects on the work of ‘Enable’ – a multi-stakeholder research partnership aiming to develop good practice in the safety and security challenges facing professional football in Sweden.

OPINION: Yesterday's report from the HMIC - The State of Policing in England and Wales - emphasised the lack of proper funding for mental health, and the way policing has been forced to become the service of first resort. Serving officer Nathan Constable - who has warned of this for some time - highlights the key issues around police responses to mental health crises.

Interview: Until two years ago, gun and knife crime in London had consistently fallen. Following a spike in the figures, the Met's new Commissioner Cressida Dick has pledged to make it her priority, but one charity believes the responsibility for tackling the problem goes beyond the force. Tina Orr-Munro speaks to Patrick Green of the Ben Kinsella Trust