Latest News, Analysis and Opinion  (Page 28)

OPINION: The popularity of various illicit drugs changes regularly, with substance preference of users often dictated by the choices of manufacturers, logistical challenges and geopolitical events; Associate Professor Ian Hamilton of the University of York, and Professor Harry Sumnall of Liverpool John Moores University, highlight four street drugs that could pose a significant UK health threat in 2024.

FEATURE: Drowning in the UK accounts for more accidental fatalities annually than fire deaths in the home or cycling deaths on the road, and in many of these incidents the police are the first responders on scene; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the UK’s Drowning Prevention Strategy, the police response, and the work of the RNLI and others in reducing deaths in and around water.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Fivecast, a global Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) solution provider explores how Social Media Intelligence (SOCMINT), is helping the UK policing community identify and mitigate threats and offers best practices applicable to law enforcement globally.

ANALYSIS: One of the arguments put forward for the launch of new non-degree recruitment pathways in the UK is that the public want police officers on the streets rather than in classrooms; but research by former police officer Tom Andrews, now a University of Derby Policing Lecturer, suggests that the public are in favour of post-A Level qualifications for police officers – just don’t call them degrees.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Attitudes to the use of facial recognition technology (FRT) are changing rapidly, with Policing Minister Chris Philp and others advocating its use within a proportionate ethical and legislative framework. Ian Williams of Motorola Solutions argues that police forces are seeing FRT in an increasingly positive light, with advances in the technology helping humans make better-informed decisions and ensuring justice for the victims of crime.

FEATURE: In the latest in the new series of The Police Student focusing on Criminology in Policing, Policing Insight Academic Editor Dr Carina O’Reilly explores critical perspectives on crime, including Marxist approaches to criminology, white collar crimes and corruption, and critical race theory.

FEATURE: The police disciplinary processes in New Zealand and the UK have been overhauled in recent months; but despite the reforms, staff associations representing frontline officers in both countries are still voicing strong concerns over the lengthy delays involved in misconduct investigations which – in the worst cases – can leave officers waiting years for allegations to be resolved, significantly impacting both their own health and public confidence, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

LATEST RESEARCH: 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.

INTERVIEW: In an exclusive interview with Policing Insight, Policing Minister Chris Philp told James Sweetland why he believes that dramatically increasing the use of facial recognition can transform policing and help forces across England and Wales catch wanted criminals.

FEATURE: A roundtable of UK politicians, experts and corporate partners has urged businesses to be more open about their experiences with modern slavery in supply chains, and called for an overhaul of existing legislation, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

INTERVIEW: In the second part of his interview with Policing Insight, Det Supt Ian Kirby, the recently appointed CEO of the National Cyber Resilience Centre Group, spoke to James Sweetland about the benefits of the Cyber PATH programme, and the importance of all officers having enough understanding of cybercrime to be able to offer basic advice and support to victims.

INTERVIEW: In recent years – and particularly since the Covid pandemic – the levels of public trust and confidence in policing in the UK have shown a worrying decline; Policing Insight’s Martin Gallagher spoke to Prof Ros Searle, an occupational psychologist and specialist in organisational trust, about the challenges facing policing, and what it can do around recruitment and leadership to rebuild that trust and confidence.

FEATURE: A new joint report by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate, and HM Inspectorate of Probation into victims’ services has found that despite agencies recognising the need to improve services for victims, poor communications and a focus on meeting the Victims’ Code meant that the findings highlighted ‘depressingly familiar’ shortcomings, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

ANALYSIS: Shoplifting has become a focus for policing in the UK and around the world, amid claims that the retail sector is experiencing a theft epidemic fuelled by organised gangs, social media and a poor police response; Professor Graham Farrell of the University of Leeds and Professor Rachel Armitage of the University of Huddersfield explore the veracity of some of the key recent assertions made about shoplifting.

INTERVIEW: After his first six months leading the National Cyber Resilience Centre Group – a not-for-profit partnership that enhances the cyber resilience of small businesses – Detective Superintendent Ian Kirby has ambitious plans for growth and a call to arms for police officers around cyber prevention, as Policing Insight’s James Sweetland reports.

FEATURE: A scheme in Thames Valley is helping to improve outcomes for young people with a parent in prison; Policing Insight’s Ian Weinfass spoke to Sgt Russ Massie to find out how it works, how other areas could emulate it, and if police really are the best agency to work on it.

LATEST RESEARCH: 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.

LONG READ: Having explored the challenges and opportunities faced by policing in collating and analysing the huge growth in data sources – including the potential for technology to offer solutions, the skillsets required and the ethical concerns – what does law enforcement need to do to tackle these issues? In the last in the series of five features, Policing Insight’s Keith Potter spoke to police practitioners, stakeholders and specialists about the way forward.

INTERVIEW: In the latest in a series of interviews with leading figures involved in the research and investigation of organised crime, Policing Insight’s Dr Chris Allen spoke to Dr Eleanor Beevor, Senior Analyst at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime about motorbike trafficking and armed criminals in the Sahel, environmental crime eradication, and how directly supporting people living in crime-affected areas can be transformative.

FEATURE: A new report by the UK’s House of Lords has called for greater use of community orders to reduce reoffending and address the growing prisons crisis, arguing that intensive rehabilitative support rather than longer tariffs would bring the most benefit to communities and individuals, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

INNOVATION: Social media platforms identify and remove huge volumes of online terrorist and violent extremist content on a daily basis, with much of the detection relying on artificial intelligence and automated processes; a new white paper by the Tech Against Terrorism Europe and NOTIONES projects examines the scale of the problem, and suggests steps that could improve and expand the response to such potentially damaging content, as Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth reports.

JOB ADVERTISEMENT: The University of South Wales is seeking to appoint two Lecturers in Policing and Criminology. The university is currently in partnership with five Police Forces and have recently won the contract to deliver to two new partner forces, South Wales Police and Gwent Police. We are looking for talented individuals to work across our entire provision and have a particular demand in the Dorset and Devon and Cornwall areas.

FEATURE: Natural disasters can have a huge impact on communities in any location, but the response from police and emergency services in rural areas can be particularly stretched because of the lack of resources; Dr Jessica Peterson of Southern Oregon University believes law enforcement agencies could gain significant benefits from partnering with academic institutions to improve their preparedness, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

ANALYSIS: Paris became the first European city to ban the use of rental e-scooters under a law that came into force in September, and concerns have been raised in other towns and cities in the UK and elsewhere about riders breaking the rules; but research by Senior Lecturer Dr Petya Ventsislavova and colleagues at Nottingham Trent University has found that a lack of knowledge of the law – rather than a desire to flout it – is behind most rule breaking by riders.