Latest News, Analysis and Opinion  (Page 56)

OPINION: The recent Sentencing Council report highlighting the limited deterrence effect of harsher custodial sentences was described by some as a revelation; but Policing Lecturer Tom Andrews argues that diversionary programmes, as well as the possibility of being caught – rather than the potential severity of the punishment – have long been recognised as more effective approaches to preventing offending.

ANALYSIS: This month’s report by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services highlighted significant issues around the vetting of police officers – both new recruits and those already in service; as HMICFRS begins publishing individual force inspections on the same topic, Policing Insight’s Graham Wettone looks at the concerns highlighted by the original report, the recommendations for improvement, and what the service should be doing to protect policing and the public against potential misconduct and corruption.

ANALYSIS: This month’s ANZPAA Conference offered another opportunity to learn more about brain fingerprinting, and the potential for its use in law enforcement investigations and deception detection; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the background to this cutting-edge technology, research on its operational performance to date, and how it could benefit policing and criminal justice systems moving forwards.

OPINION: A series of high-profile cases in the UK have highlighted issues around the disproportionate use of force and stop and search, and the impact on confidence in policing among many in black communities; Dr Clare Torrible, Senior Law Lecturer at the University of Bristol, believes a recent Court of Appeal ruling around reasonable use of force by officers could be crucial in restoring that confidence.

INTERVIEW: As Cambridge PD’s first female Commissioner, Christine Elow is determined to achieve her career-long ambition to “really make a difference”; and as a woman of colour and a parent to twin African-American 17-year-old sons, she’s also well aware that there are historical scars in the relationship between policing and some communities that are yet to heal, as she explained to Policing Insight’s Christine Townsend.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Policing performance has never been under the microscope as much as it is now. There are some police forces that have been placed under special measures by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabularies and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS). In reviewing these findings, we can identify common themes in each of the areas in which policing is still considered to be underperforming.

FEATURE: The challenges around tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) have been the subject of intense public, political and policing debate in recent months, following a number of high-profile incidents and alarming statistics; Policing Lecturer Dr Anna Hopkins reports on a recent Open University conference which drew together police, politicians, practitioners and academics to address some of the key issues and consider ways forward.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Recent studies of the use and impact of, for example, body-worn video (BWV) cameras, have produced inconclusive results, or the reporting is strictly quantitative – all about statistics and numbers, and less about the human experience of officers and the public. So we at Axon supported an independent study by Crest Advisory, a leading consultancy in the UK policing, justice and public safety sectors, to assess the impact of enabling technologies on Cumbria’s constabulary.

ANALYSIS: Three years ago, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the ambitious Uplift plan to recruit an additional 20,000 police officers by April 2023, and despite significant political upheaval since, the Government remains ‘determined’ to keep to its pledge; in the last of this current series on UK police workforce structure, Policing Insight’s Ian Wiggett assesses whether that target will be met, and what comes next.

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: The emergency services response to the flooding in Australia’s Northern Rivers region, which began in February and remains ongoing, has been subject to close scrutiny and two major independent inquiries; Policing Insight’s Alan Beckley examines some of the key findings and recommendations from the two inquiry reports, and considers their implications for policing in the region.

ANALYSIS: New research from the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) has found that children are being seriously affected not only by violence itself, but also the fear of violence, with almost two thirds of young people changing their behaviour to protect themselves; YEF Executive Director Jon Yates believes that evidence-based approaches and partnership working can significantly improve the safety and prospects of young people.

INTERVIEW: When the UK Disabled Police Association (DPA) was launched 10 years ago, disability was still not considered a protected characteristic in policing; Supt Simon Nelson, who steps down as President of the DPA after eight years in post when he retires from policing next month, believes the situation has now significantly improved – but as he explained to Policing Insight Contributing Editor Tina Orr Munro, there’s still much more to be done.

FEATURE: Law enforcement globally faces similar challenges around officers numbers, diversity and community engagement, yet the crucial contribution of policing volunteers – and the relatively untapped potential – is often overlooked; Dr Iain Britton of the University of Northampton’s Institute for Public Safety, Crime and Justice reports on recent global gatherings of volunteer policing leaders and academics in the UK, and plans to improve the international sharing of evidence and best practice.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Integration and data are at the very core of Police work, ensuring information is accessible by the right people at the right time through the most appropriate channel. In this article we will discuss how Forces can unlock the power of their data to deliver key policing outcomes.

ANALYSIS: As the conversation turns again to probable funding cuts to UK public services, Open University Visiting Fellow Justin Partridge and University of Southampton lecturer Fatema Zaghloul examine whether increased and sustained austerity will lead to a greater willingness to collaborate and assist in driving efficiencies, or if collaboration will become another casualty of austerity as hard-pressed organisations simply retrench their focus to internal matters?

OPINION: A spate of juvenile charges being laid in youth courts in New Zealand has reignited the debate around whether the country needs to raise its criminal age of responsibility; Professor Claire Breen of the University of Waikato argues that increasing the age of responsibility from 10 to 12 or older would see children still face the consequences of their actions, but escape being caught up in the criminal justice system.

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INTERVIEW: West Midlands Police Chief Constable Sir Dave Thompson retires next month, after more than 32 years in the service; ahead of his last National Police Chiefs’ Council conference this week, he spoke to Policing Insight’s Keith Potter about the impact of fresh financial cuts on policing, the importance of chief officers using their voice, and the dangers of policing being used as a ‘football in the culture wars’.

FEATURE: Reporting a crime or seeking help from police can be a challenge for anyone, but for those who have difficulty communicating it can be particularly tough; Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons spoke to Victoria Police and Scope Australia about a new accreditation programme that reassures those with disabilities while ensuring officers have the skills and training to overcome communications challenges.

ANALYSIS: The emergency service response to disasters – whether manmade incidents such as terrorist attacks, or naturally occurring events including weather crises – has been under scrutiny in the UK and globally in recent years; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at a new European disaster analysis model that will be unveiled this week, which aims to increase learning and share best practice with a view to improving future responses.

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 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 Cathy Haenlein, Director of Organised Crime and Policing at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), about the work of RUSI’s Strategic Hub for Organised Crime Research (SHOC), the effectiveness of financial sanctions on organised crime, and how growing scarcity could be a critical factor in organised crime of the future.

FEATURE: Law enforcement around the world has relied increasingly on DNA as a crucial tool in solving crime; but without specific production standards to protect against the contamination of crime scenes, killers could have escaped justice while innocent people faced conviction and even execution, as Will Paton, Marketing Manager for scene-of-crime technology specialists RollsTechGlobal, explains.