PCC Election 2021: West Mercia
POLICE FORCE FOCUS: Candidate details for the PCC Elections 2021 in West Mercia, along with details of previous PCC election outcomes
SPOTLIGHT ON THE WINNERS: A highly complex digital forensic investigation by a UK police team, which helped to crack a global cyber attack against thousands of targets including Sony’s Playstation network, was recognised as a winner at the recent inaugural World Class Policing Awards sponsored by Accenture. In the fifth of twelve articles focusing on the award-winning nominations, Keith Potter takes a closer look at Operation Polarity.
Interview: The globalisation of crime is impacting on law enforcement agencies across the world. Dr Borislav Mavrov from the European Institute in Bulgaria shares with Policing Insight the challenges faced by Bulgarian agencies, what measures are being taken and how UK policing can help.
Opinion: The search for additional savings in policing is becoming increasingly difficult, but the newly-formed BlueLight Commercial is set to transform policing's commercial capability increasing cashable savings and income generation. Chair of the National Commercial Board and Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent Matthew Scott outlines the benefits BlueLight Commercial will deliver.
IN THE NEWS: This summary curates the key policing-related research that's been published online in the last week, with links to the original journal articles, and selected abstracts - plus a short guide outlining how serving police officers and staff can get access, free, to many of the articles listed through the National Police Library. You do not need to be a member of the College to access its library.
OPINION: The UK's first ever National Policing Digital Strategy was launched at the recent Police ICT Summit. Director of the National Enabling Programmes and Chair of the National Police Technology Council Wayne Parkes explores the reasons for the strategy, its ambitions, and how it can be delivered.
NEWS: The use of Artificial Intelligence in policing has raised concerns in some quarters. With the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation due to publish a new ethical framework for AI in policing in the coming months, its Executive Director Ollie Buckley says public trust will be vital to its success.
FEATURE: In the first of our new series aimed at supporting the new police degree entry recruits, Policing Insight's Academic Editor Carina O'Reilly explores the different policing approaches and the drivers for the shift towards Evidence-Based Policing (EBP).
Opinion: Policing has been accused of being the last unreformed public service. But, as President of the Police Superintendents Association Paul Griffiths reflects on his last ten years with the Association, he says change has been considerable and much has been achieved.
Analysis: This May, in England and Wales, the public will go to the polls to elect their local Police and Crime Commissioner. Professor Peter Joyce and Dr Wendy Laverick examine the lessons to be learnt from the previous two elections in 2012 and 2016 and what prospective candidates are likely to focus on in 2020.
Analysis: As UK police are set to receive new powers to tackle the problem of illegal drone activity, Policing Insight contributor Andrew Staniforth examines the risks drones pose to our safety and security and the wider work happening to counteract them.
IN THE NEWS: This summary curates the key policing-related research that's been published online in the last week, with links to the original journal articles, and selected abstracts - plus a short guide outlining how serving police officers and staff can get access, free, to many of the articles listed through the National Police Library. You do not need to be a member of the College to access its library.
Analysis: Lord Carlile's removal as the independent reviewer of the counter-terror Prevent strategy following a legal challenge has left the Government in a difficult position. With just eight months until the Review must, by law, be completed and its findings shared, Policing Insight contributor Andrew Staniforth explores the challenges ahead.
Analysis: Last week's police funding settlement - the biggest increase in police funding for a decade - has been welcomed by many in the service. While the headline figures are impressive, former Assistant Chief Constable and now CoPaCC Director Ian Wiggett takes a closer look and finds some questions still need to be answered.
SPOTLIGHT ON THE WINNERS: A force-wide initiative to equip officers with smartphones and develop apps that maximise the benefits of mobile working was recognised as a winner at the recent inaugural World Class Policing Awards sponsored by Accenture. In the fourth of twelve articles focusing on the award-winning nominations, Keith Potter takes a closer look at the New Zealand Police Mobility Programme.
Opinion: With police forces across the UK now faced with the task of recruiting an additional 20,000 officers, Policing Insight Contributor Andrew Staniforth says the service should seize the opportunity to recruit more creative thinkers for the benefit of policing.
NEWS: The Police ICT Summit is held every year, but this year’s event is set to be a milestone with the publication of the service’s first national digital strategy for policing. Policing Insight reports from the conference.