Latest News, Analysis and Opinion  (Page 169)

Analysis: With the media reporting sharp rises in the number of abandoned 999 calls, former Assistant Chief Constable of GMP Ian Wiggett examines the causes and argues the issue is symptomatic of much wider problems in the call handling and response system.

Opinion: Allan Fairley, UK Police & Justice Managing Director, Accenture looks at the pivotal role of data in technology-enabled policing, and examines how public cloud computing can provide a better way forward.

ANALYSIS: Should the proposed BTP merger with Police Scotland be put on hold? Calls for a delay have increased since a draft HMICS report described the decision to merge the forces as 'entirely political'. Kath Murray looks at the evidence.

ANALYSIS: In the third of a series of special articles examining the progress of Police and Crime Commissioners as they assume joint governance over police and fire services in their areas, Catherine Levin reports on a process losing momentum in the face of obstacles both political and practical.

Insight: Ever felt overwhelmed by the sheer volume of what needs to be done? Jonathan Rees is the owner of Momoho which works with blue light services to develop high-performing teams and individuals. In the first of a series of articles, he examines ways for police leaders to tackle the pressure cooker of modern day policing.

INTERVIEW: As individual forces explore the ways in which they can use drones in everyday policing, Gary Mason talks to Russell Woolford, Assistant Operations Director with the National Police Air Service (NPAS) about the role to be played by the organisation, which currently manages helicopter and fixed‑wing aircraft fleet across England and Wales

Analysis: Dr Iain Britton, a CoPaCC director focused on police transformation and delivery, reflects on the announcements of investment for the third round of the Police Transformation Fund, discussing the projects which are being supported and what they tell us about the ongoing national agenda to transform policing.

Opinion: Cleveland Police has become the first force to buy in Sopra Steria's Predikt, a web-based police resource and demand modelling  tool. Kathryn Howe, head of public sector marketing for Sopra Steria, explains how PrediKt takes the guesswork out of predicting demand on the service.

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: Last week's police pay settlement provoked some controversy - in part over the responses from the College of Policing and the NPCC. Gavin Hales of the Police Foundation warns the settlement and the responses underlines that all is not well in policing.

OPINION: Police Scotland's Chief Constable, Phil Gormley, was temporarily suspended last week in more bad news for the force. Nick McKerrell of Glasgow Caledonian University looks at the institutional malaise at the heart of Police Scotland and asks if the issues of leadership and accountability are likely to be resolved.

LONG READ: The recent Reform report, 'Bobbies on the Net,' was controversial on many points, especially its recommendation that police without digital skills should be sacked. Blue Lights Digital analyse the report from a digital perspective, and find that many of its 'revolutionary' conclusions are already under way.

POLICING INSIGHT EXCLUSIVE: In our final exclusive extract from "Police Chiefs in the UK: Politicians, HR Managers or Cops?" Dr Mark Roycroft, Senior Lecturer in Criminology at the University of East London, explores the role of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC)* through the eyes of Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables.

Opinion: Unauthorised traveller encampments are a challenging issue for most areas. In a co-authored article, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson and Lead Policy Officer Ben Twomey argue that transit sites may offer a solution. 

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.

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: Crime weighting is increasingly being considered as a way of measuring the harm from crime, not just the volume of it. But numbers alone, even weighted ones, can't tell the full story. Andy Higgins of the Police Foundation explores ways of making crime statistics more rich and useful.

ANALYSIS: The problem of silos between agencies in police work is well known - but what about silos within policing? A recent @wecops debate asked how silos formed and what could be done to overcome them. Former GMP ACC Ian Wiggett and Emma Williams of Canterbury Christ Church University summarise the discussion.

ANALYSIS: Previous understandings of crowds have treated their behaviour as if it is contagious. Analysing the English riots of 2011, Dr John Drury of Sussex University argues that the spread of rioting was based more on an anti-police identity and a feeling of power after a weak police response to initial unrest.

FREE ACCESS: Policing Insight has recently signed up a large number of new police forces for organisation wide subscription access. This is great news for officers and staff at each OPCC and force as they now have FREE access to all articles, reports and the valuable Media Monitor service. Read on to find out how to use your FREE subscriber access

POLICING INSIGHT EXCLUSIVE: In the third of our exclusive extracts from "Police Chiefs in the UK: Politicians, HR Managers or Cops?" Dr Mark Roycroft, Senior Lecturer in Criminology at the University of East London, asks chiefs and crime commissioners for their views on the controversial issue of regionalisation, alliances and mergers.