ANALYSIS: Ian Wiggett, CoPaCC Director and former Greater Manchester Police ACC, reflects on the learning from CoPaCC's "Brexit: Implications for policing and security" event last week, and asks PCCs and police chiefs, "What is the plan?"
ANALYSIS: The HMIC recently released their report on public confidence in policing - and at first glance it seems good news. However, Dr Kevin Morrell of Warwick University and Emma Williams of Canterbury Christ Church University argue that there are a number of issues with the methodology and analysis of the research that means we cannot be entirely confident in reported confidence in the police.
ANALYSIS: The recent substantial drop in police numbers led the Police Federation of England and Wales to study the impact of austerity on the welfare of officers. Mary Elliott-Davies of the Federation describes the fascination of watching results coming in - and the stark message of the early findings.
ANALYSIS: Interest in heritage crime, any act which ‘harms the value of England's heritage assets and their settings to this and future generations,’ has been slowly gathering pace. Researching this marginalised area, Bethan Poyser found that understandings and perceptions of heritage crime vary greatly between place managers and the police, leading to extreme frustration for both parties.
OPINION: The use of controversial spit hoods was suspended last week in London after intervention from new Mayor Sadiq Khan. Nick Alston of Anglia Ruskin University's Policing Institute for the Eastern Region argues that not enough is known of the real risks and benefits of spit hoods, and the College of Policing needs to step up with rigorous evidence of the pros and cons.
OPINION: Laboratory reports of hepatitis C have almost doubled in three years in London, while some 59% of London's injecting drug users (classically, crack and heroin) have hepatitis C. Rory Geoghegan of the Centre for Public Safety argues that forces need to explain to the public what a spit guard is, how it works and why it is needed - and that spit guards are a no-brainer for effective policing.
NEWS: A unique conference in Munich later this month - with attendance free - showcases research on social media and community policing across Europe for the first time. Lindsey Gunby of West Yorkshire for Innovation, the organisers of the conference, talks about the projects and their potential for technology to help transform community policing.
OPINION: The 2016 Police Now Summer Academy has just graduated 108 new recruit police officers ready for independent patrol. Chris Heathcote, Director and Gold Commander of the Academy, talks about why he believes passionately in the promise of Police Now and what it can offer to police forces across the country.
NEWS: Ch. Supt. Gavin Thomas of the Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales says officers responsible for protecting vulnerable people should have training and development to an agreed national standard. He sets out what he'll tell the Association's annual conference this week.
ANALYSIS: Did parliamentary scrutiny fail in the case of Police Scotland? Kath Murray argues that at least some of the difficulties that have since beset the force might be allied to the Scottish political system - here, she examines the evidence.
OPINION: How inclusive is the modern police force for LGBT officers, and is there work still to do? On 31 August, @WeCops held an online debate on LGBT officers and modern policing, with Detective Superintendent Joanne Edwards (@Joedwar25098564), supported by @lancpolequality as hosts. Eric Halford (@DSEricHalford) summarises the debate.
