Features

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.

Analysis: Police officers carrying firearms is an area that has undergone considerable legislative changes in Australia. Professor Rick Sarre, Dean of Law at the University of South Australia, examines what effect these changes have had on officer safety and public protection.

Analysis: The influx of thousands of new police recruits in the next three years will transform Human Resources in policing. Head of Policing for KPMG in the UK Andrew Lea explores the challenges ahead and offers ways in which HR can rise to them.

FEATURE: What is Evidence-Based Policing (EBP) and why is the College of Policing keen to incorporate this approach into police work? To coincide with the announcement of our forthcoming series, THE POLICE STUDENT, Policing Insight's Academic Editor Carina O'Reilly explores the shift towards Evidence-Based Policing and the value it potentially brings.

Analysis: Following research commissioned by the National Police Chiefs Council into diversity in policing, Research Director for Crime and Justice at the National Centre for Social Research Dr Jeffrey DeMarco examines the issues impacting diversity and how they can be overcome.

Analysis: Statistics can help improve the public's understanding of the demands on policing, but how do the media use statistics and how does this influence the public debate? Statistics Regulator for the Office for Statistics Regulation Lewis Jack discusses the findings of the OSR's Policing Review Phase Two Media Analysis.

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.

analysis: The final paper in our series on Police and Crime Panels by Dr Roy Bailey explores the governance role of Police and Crime Panels and whether they are effective in holding Police and Crime Commissioners to account.

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.

Opinion: In the third of three articles, former Australian police officer and public speaker Shane Mallory explores the notion of security in modern culture and what this means for our society.

Opinion: Forensic evidence can make or break a criminal case, so what happens when bias is involved? Dr Lee Curley and Dr James Munro examine the impact of bias and the role psychology can play in understanding it.

Opinion: All workplaces have their own 'culture' and policing is no exception. In the second of three articles, former Australian police officer and public speaker Shane Mallory says understanding that workforce culture 'is feeling' is the necessary starting point to enabling change.

OPINION: How sex and gender identity should be defined in law and policy has become one of the most controversial of contemporary debates. The role of the police is in turn a topic of considerable contention. Dr Kath Murray, a Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, warns that police forces must acknowledge both perspectives in the debate for the sake of their own legitimacy.

INSIGHT: Staffordshire is one of the few forces that has successfully pressed ahead with merging police and fire governance. With Phase 1 now complete, Senior Project Manager Richard Battams and Staffordshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis offer a unique insight into the process and what has been achieved so far.

ANALYSIS : Despite public concern, sex offenders cannot remain imprisoned indefinitely; but many schemes do little to rehabilitate such offenders. Jamie Walvisch, Monash University; Kelly Richards, Queensland University of Technology, and Lorana Bartels, Australian National University look at what works to protect the community.

Opinion: In this insightful and thought-provoking blog, Dr Dev Maitra of the University of Suffolk examines the riots that took place in the UK in 2011 and how the subsequent under analysis of what happened hampers our understanding of serious youth violence.

Interview: Social media provides a powerful tool for police to communicate with communities but criminal justice media expert Lauri Stevens tells Policing Insight police forces are not harnessing the full potential of online networks.

Analysis: The tragic deaths of 39 people in a container lorry in Essex have once again shone a spotlight on human trafficking and the EU's continuing struggle to prevent organised criminals exploiting Europe's frictionless borders. Policing Insight contributor Andrew Staniforth takes a closer look at the challenges.

INTERVIEW: Former head of the National Crime Agency's Drugs Threat and Intelligence Tony Saggers tells Policing Insight there has never been a 'war on drugs' and the time has come to adopt a different approach to tackling the problem.

Opinion: Policing is in need of a drastic cultural shift away from its current process and control driven state. Former Australian police officer and now public speaker Shane Mallory discusses the fear and suspicion that currently plagues police culture and how to address it.

Analysis: The Police Innovation Fund was introduced in 2013 and replaced by the Police Transformation Fund in 2016, but how successful has it been in bringing the latest innovation and technology to police forces? Policing Insight contributor Andrew Staniforth argues the time is now right for a full evaluation.

INTERVIEW: Warwickshire OPCC are to fund 11 road safety organisations as part of a major strategy to reduce casualties following a 160 per cent increase in road this year. Warwickshire PCC Philip Seccombe explains how the strategy will work and Annette Lloyd who runs The Honest Truth tells Policing Insight why her organisation was chosen.

Opinion: Between 2015 and 2017, the cost of organised crime to Australia increased exponentially to $36 billion. Based on the figures, Dr John Coyne from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute argues the current 'Whac-a-Mole' policing approach to tackling the problem isn't working.

analysis: Independent police and crime panel members are generally younger, more diverse, better skilled and more representative of their communities. In his fourth paper, based on his research into police and crime panels, Dr Roy Bailey evaluates the effectiveness of independent panel members.