Latest News, Analysis and Opinion  (Page 164)

SPOTLIGHT ON: Policing Insight has over a thousand in depth articles on a wide range of policing issues. SPOTLIGHT ON is a new series which groups articles under one subject heading allowing you quick and easy reference when you need it. Here, we tackle facial recognition technology which recently hit the headlines raising questions and concerns as to its role in policing.

OPINION: Though recorded crime has fallen over the last decade, demand is rising, and policing vulnerability is the order of the day. Serving officer Martin Gallagher argues that the focus has shifted too far: police need to take a step back from these multiple demands and focus on traditional police work.

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OPINION: The will to share data in policing exists, but the mechanisms to do so remain unwieldy. Boyd Mulvey, CEO of Chorus Intelligence, argues that removing the barriers demonstrates what can be achieved and will encourage greater sharing.

INSIGHT: Our new series, exclusive to Policing Insight, examines the impact of cyber-crime on UK policing. In the first of three articles, CEO and co-founder of Cyber Security Intelligence Alfred Rolington explores the '4th Industrial Revolution' and the factors leading to the emergence of cyber-crime.

ANALYSIS: Report Watch summarises the main findings of reports that impact on policing and includes responses from the main stakeholders as well as media reaction. Here we take a look at HMICFRS's State of Policing report which is HMCIC Sir Thomas Winsor's assessment of the current effectiveness and efficiency of policing based on the Peel Inspections carried out last year.

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.

OPINION: Following on from his presentation at this year's Modernising Justice Conference on unpacking Greater Manchester Police's mobile revolution, Chief Superintendent Phil Davies, Director of GMP's Information Services Transformation, shares the lessons learnt from the process.

ANALYSIS: Organised crime has been glamourised by fictional portrayals, and many people don't believe it affects their daily life. However, real-life organised crime flourishes in vulnerable, fractured communities. Dr Niall Hamilton-Smith of the University of Stirling explores the reality of organised crime in Scotland.

OPINION: Given the pressures police forces are under, Greater Manchester Police responded to the bombing of the Manchester Arena last May remarkably well. A year on, 100 officers and staff are still employed on the case. Former GMP ACC Ian Wiggett takes a closer look at the force and the fire service's response and the potential lessons learnt.

OPINION: The strain on police efficiencies is greater than ever, with one of its key contributory factors - siloed data - potentially costing police officers up to 28 days of productivity a year. Coeus Software’s CEO Simon Hall explores the effect of this and how the latest cloud and mobile technology developments, changing software procurement practices and wider digitisation in policing can help the frontline.

OPINION: Rural policing faces a perfect storm of under-funding and specialised demand. Richard Perkins, regional director at NICE Public Safety, argues that forces need to embrace digital solutions to address these challenges.

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Opinion: Henry Rex, Programme Manager for Justice & Emergency Services, techUK, the trade association for digital and hi-tech companies, explores the key issues that would enable greater sharing of data across public sector organisations

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.

ANALYSIS: The proposed absorption of British Transport Police into Police Scotland appears to be steaming ahead regardless of unresolved problems, deep opposition from BTP officers, and ever-increasing reputational risks. Independent researcher Dr Kath Murray and Dr Colin Atkinson of the University of the West of Scotland explain the ongoing issues.

Opinion: Forces are increasingly turning to technology to help tackle the steep rise in online child abuse. Zoe Rooke, of Future Digital, explains how safeguarding software can be used to monitor registered sex offenders' activity to ensure they don't re-offend.

OPINION: Serving officer Ben Crane joined the College of Policing in October 2016 to lead a pilot project with eight forces to examine some of the barriers and culture around police secondments. The project sought to place a number of senior police officers and staff into real roles outside policing for nine to 12 months. The evaluation will be published in July 2018. Here Ben discusses some of the challenges.

OPINION: The first ever Police Governance Summit took place last week in Northamptonshire, with a capacity audience. What did those attending think?

NEWS: The Police and Crime Commissioner of Dorset Police has officially announced at the CoPaCC Police Governance Summit, that Dorset Police and Devon and Cornwall Police are set to merge into a single force by May 2020 when the next Police and Crime Commissioner elections are due to take place. 

ANALYSIS: More than three quarters of shop theft and burglaries are carried out by drug-addicted offenders - but many existing sanctions like short-term prison sentences have little effect. Rory Geoghegan, Head of Criminal Justice for the Centre for Social Justice, calls for a new two-year 'Second Chance' programme in a new report, Desperate for a Fix.

Analysis: The National Speed Awareness Course is offered by nearly all police forces in England and Wales and provides eligible offending drivers with a short course of retraining as an alternative to punishment for low-level speeding offences, but does it work? Researcher Sarah Heseltine takes a look at the findings of the DfT's recent evaluation.

ANALYSIS: In the final extract from Vigilant Research’s in depth report on police futures technology, Director Stephen Roberts explores the threat from future technology-enabled criminality.

OPINION: Ahead of the inaugural Police Governance Summit this week, one of our conference contributors, Ann Reeder, CEO of Frontline Consulting Associates which leads a national project with Police and Crime Panels and the new Police, Fire and Crime Panels, examines the role of PCPs and the challenges ahead.