Latest News, Analysis and Opinion  (Page 52)

ANALYSIS: A new joint report from Europol and the American Drug Enforcement Administration explores the involvement of Mexican cartels in the European drug trade; Policing Insight’s Chris Allen looks at the roles taken on by cartel members, the particular drug markets they are working in, and what this may mean for future drug trends across Europe.

INTERVIEW: The US Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) has long been a pioneer of promoting community engagement and partnerships for law enforcement across America; Policing Insight’s Christine Townsend spoke to COPS’ Nazmia Comrie about investing in long-term initiatives, how community policing can improve violence reduction, and why digging into the data is crucial.

FEATURE: From criminal networks creating their own welfare systems, to new financial scams, corruption, and transnational counterfeiting of PPE on a huge scale, Covid led to new opportunities and ways of working for organised crime (OC); Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons looks at some of the criminal tools and techniques adopted by OC in response to the pandemic, highlighted during the 24-hour Conference on Global Organised Crime.

OPINION: The case this week of serial rapist PC David Carrick has once again highlighted gaps in the vetting and misconduct processes that could have identified the threat posed by the Met officer much earlier; British Transport Police Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi believes there are a number of steps that can be taken quickly and easily to close those gaps, and ensure patterns of complaints lead to a swift identification of any underlying issues.

OPINION: Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley’s recently unveiled plan for reform of the force is underpinned throughout by the introduction of “precise community crime-fighting”; Police Foundation Research Director Andy Higgins takes a closer look at what the term will mean in practice, how similar ideas have fared elsewhere, and why unifying neighbourhood and evidenced-based policing approaches could deliver significant benefits.

INTERVIEW: After a 30-year career which saw her rise to the top of the Aurora Illinois Police Department, former chief Kristen Ziman retired in 2021 and found herself facing a difficult transition; 18 months on, with her first book published, and putting her specialist interests in counter-terrorism and gun violence to good use, she’s not ready to give up making a positive difference just yet, as she explained to Policing Insight’s Christine Townsend.

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.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Front-line police deserve to be protected by equipment that not only protects them, but the public too. TASER technology is one of the most studied, safe and effective means of quickly stopping a threat. In this article, we’ll dig into the research around TASER energy devices and address misconceptions and myths.

FEATURE: Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley last week unveiled the outlines of a turnaround plan for the force based on “precise community crime fighting”, a new performance framework and new professional values; but just days after the ambitious plan was announced, the force was facing fresh controversy with the conviction of serial rapist PC David Carrick highlighting concerns over vetting, conduct and complaints, as Policing Insight’s Keith Potter reports.

ANALYSIS: Public trust in policing is essential in maintaining police legitimacy and effectiveness, and people’s perceptions of police are a valuable indicator of levels of community trust and confidence; Dr Rasha Kassem and Dr Ian Kennedy of the Open University explore some of the factors influencing negative and positive perceptions of policing, many of which were highlighted during a recent University of Oxford public engagement event.

ANALYSIS: A key element of many of the 2020 policing protests was the call to defund police and reinvest more heavily in community spending and solutions, but two years on, policing budgets have continued to increase across Canada; Concordia University Associate Professor Ted Rutland looks at how and why spending has increased, and what progress has been made on investing in non-police responses.

OPINION: The Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency (ANZPAA) has been at the forefront of identifying new and ongoing challenges for law enforcement, as well as the tools, techniques and guidance required to enable officers to meet them; ANZPAA CEO Dr Tracey Green outlines some of the key issues policing will be facing over 2023, and how the Agency is working with practitioners, stakeholders and others to deliver solutions.

OPINION: The last 12 months have been tumultuous for policing in England and Wales, so what challenges will law enforcement face in 2023? Police Foundation Director Rick Muir explores the key issues for policing in the year ahead, including recruitment and retention, reviews and reform, and the potential impact of politics and new legislation.

OPINION: As threats against Canadian politicians appear to be at an all-time high, rising workforce attrition rates within the RCMP are in danger of leaving the force with too few resources to protect ministers, diplomats and government officials; Security Risk Management doctorate student Sean Spence believes the shortage is a risk to Canada’s national security, but turning to private contractors could offer a solution.

FEATURE: Alongside war crimes and the trafficking of vulnerable refugees, the criminal impact of the war in Ukraine includes the manipulation of information for both political and criminal gain; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the efforts underway to better understand and counteract such attempts, which will have implications for policing and community safety.

FEATURE: A collaborative project between Victoria Police and the state’s Youth Support and Advocacy Service has led to a reduction in offending, improved outcomes and services for young people, and stronger alliances between the two professions, as Policing Insight Editor Keith Potter reports.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: In February 2023, Victoria Police will be hosting the 2023 World LGBTIQ+ Conference for Criminal Justice Professionals in Melbourne, Australia. Better Together is the theme for the Melbourne conference supported by Policing Insight as media partner.

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.

FEATURE: Latest figures show a significant increase in disability hate crime (DHC) recorded by police in England and Wales, but the number passed from police forces to the CPS continues to fall; Dr Irene Zempi, Dr Leah Burch, Dr David Wilkin, and Laura Nevay outline the ongoing work to raise awareness of DHC, and to provide resources for police, academics, practitioners and campaigners to help tackle this crime.

FEATURE: Hot-spot policing is widely regarded as a high-profile success of evidence-based policing; but recent trials in London suggest that cities which are already strongly policed see little impact on crime figures from adopting a hot-spot approach, as Policing Insight Contributing Editor Sarah Gibbons reports.

INTERVIEW: In the latest in a series of interviews with leading figures involved in the research and investigation of organised crime, Policing Insight’s Chris Allen spoke to organised crime consultant Tony Lock about the IT-induced reconfiguration of organised crime, the need to tackle organised crime at source, and the role of the ‘grey enablers and kleptocrats’.

OPINION: Changes introduced under Ontario’s Community Safety and Policing Act will see the province’s Office of the Independent Police Review Director investigating complaints only against high-ranking officers and those “in the public interest”, with others referred back to the relevant forces; York University PhD Candidate Monika Lemke believes the increased lack of transparency and shrinking role of independent oversight will erode public trust in the system.

ANALYSIS: A new joint investigation into the police response to ethnic minority victims of sexual abuse who may be at risk of honour-based abuse has found that inadequate ethnicity recording of victims has become an “intolerable problem”, while a lack of cultural understanding and awareness among police officers and staff has left victims facing “unacceptable” further risks, as Policing Insight’s Keith Potter reports.

OPINION: The creation of a new Australian cybercrime taskforce following the huge Optus and Medibank data breaches is an encouraging step by government; but Magnet Forensics founder and Chief Technology Officer Jad Saliba, and Vice-President Neil Desai, argue that without a co-ordinated strategy, increased police training and investment in tools and techniques to support it, Australians will still be left vulnerable to further cyber attacks.