Latest News, Analysis and Opinion  (Page 86)

FEATURE: The pandemic-driven rise in online shopping, and a recent high-profile UK case of a fraudster sending improvised explosive devices in packages to target Amazon and eBay, have highlighted the potential threat of parcel bombs and postal attacks; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth explores the issue, and the latest EC funding available to help law enforcement to tackle the problem.

FEATURE: A recent Independent Office for Police Conduct report made a raft of recommendations based on a review of 101 cases of the police use of Taser over a five-year period; but the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the Police Federation have both criticised the report for being ‘vague’, ‘statistically insignificant’ and failing to engage with policing, as Policing Insight Editor Keith Potter reports.

ANALYSIS: The UK Government’s ‘Uplift’ initiative to recruit an additional 20,000 police officers in England and Wales is well underway, but the challenge of balancing new recruits with those leaving posts means not all forces are expanding at the same rate; in the latest in a series of articles on the police workforce, Policing Insight’s Ian Wiggett looks at the key issues of service leavers and joiners, the pandemic effect and the need for more accurate data.

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.

POLICING FRIENDSHIP TOUR: Avon and Somerset PCC Mark Shelford is leading the force’s hunt to find a new chief constable following the departure of Andy Marsh; but while traditionally the top job has been filled by existing chiefs or deputies, the force is widening the recruitment pool to include assistant chief constables and overseas applicants who possess the right leadership and Peelian qualities, as Mr Shelford explained to Policing Insight Publisher Bernard Rix on a recent leg of the Policing Friendship Tour.

INTERVIEW: In the first in a series of interviews with leading figures involved in the research and investigation of organised criminals, Policing Insight’s Chris Allen spoke to Dr Anna Sergi, Associate Professor in Criminology at the University of Essex and an expert on the Mafia, on how her career has developed, her current research and plans for future projects, and the key challenges presented by organised crime moving forwards.

FEATURE: The latest Member Survey of the New Zealand Police Association has confirmed that frontline support for the general arming of officers is at its highest level in a decade, with almost three quarters of officers backing the right to carry firearms routinely on duty; the increase in support comes against a backdrop of increased violence, prompting heartfelt concerns over safety and security from officers themselves.

FEATURE: There is widespread discussion about the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) across society and its relevance to policing, but for many it’s still a baffling subject; Andy Wilkins, CEO and Co-Founder of Futr – which has developed AI services for the police, local government, and the corporate and charitable sectors – explains what AI can do for critical services, why it’s important, and the difference it can make.

FEATURE: The return of the Taliban in Afghanistan, and their apparent attempts to use social media and other avenues to hunt down those who have collaborated with coalition forces, has highlighted once again the dangers and security concerns around the online presence of police officers; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth examines some of the main risks, as well as steps police and others can take to protect themselves and others from harm.

OPINION: Operations by police and security teams to clear homeless encampments around the city of Toronto have been defended as an attempt to ensure the safety of occupants and the general public; however, Professor Joe Hermer of the University of Toronto argues that not only is this untrue, but it also represents a betrayal by police and the mayor, who had previously pledged to listen to and build a relationship with the city’s most marginalised and vulnerable people.

OPINION: The Home Office recently put out a revised draft of the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice for public consultation in the UK; Tony Porter, the former Surveillance Camera Commissioner and now Chief Privacy Officer at Corsight AI, believes there is a need for more guidance and clearer governance of surveillance cameras and facial recognition technology, and that regulation of their use and deployment should be a role for the Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office.

ANALYSIS: Several Conservative PCCs have spoken out in recent weeks about the importance of ensuring police forces record sex-based data, not just self-identified gender. However, Police Scotland refused in a recent survey, insisting "we do not need to know". Kath Murray, Lucy Hunter Blackburn and Lisa Mackenzie of the MurrayBlackburnMackenzie Policy Analysis Collective argue this approach marginalises and endangers women, and risks the force being unable to meet its own legal obligations.

ANALYSIS: With the world watching, the US, UK and allies involved in nation-building efforts in Afghanistan completed a hasty and messy withdrawal as the Taliban returned to power; Policing Insight contributor Gareth Bryon looks at the lessons to be learned from failed attempts to create a community-based Afghan civil police force focused on crime and disorder, and whether there is any hope for the recent genuine reform introduced by President Ashraf Ghani.

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.

ANALYSIS: Policing in England and Wales is now over half way through the UK Government’s ‘Uplift’ initiative, designed to recruit an additional 20,000 officers by April 2023, but while the programme is already delivering significant workforce growth, not all forces or roles are experiencing the same expansion; in this second in a series of articles on the police workforce, Policing Insight’s Ian Wiggett looks at changes in the numbers of police community support officers and police staff, and what that means for the total workforce picture.

OPINION: A temporary law introduced in New Zealand last summer allowing buyers of drugs to have them independently checked without risking prosecution looks set to become permanent this year; if it does, Professor Alexander Gillespie of the University of Waikato believes it will make the citizens of New Zealand safer, and reflect a legislative trend towards harm reduction

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INNOVATION: The technology revolution has brought about many benefits for society, but it has also provided tools for domestic abuse perpetrators to harass, stalk and terrify their victims, often through coercive control; IBM Security specialist Lesley Nuttall explains how technology is being used to abuse victims, and the steps that tech designers can take to ensure that their latest developments are resistant to being manipulated for harm.

Feature: To maximise the chances of success for evidence-based policing strategies, the implementation phase should be active and planned rather than left to chance. Continuing our coverage of the 2021 Australia and New Zealand Society of Evidence Based Policing Conference, Policing Insight's deputy editor Sarah Gibbons reports on where the focus should lie to offer new interventions the best chance of being embedded as 'business as usual'.

opinion: Promoting a single equality cause as overtly as this week's pictures of the LGBT rainbow emblem on police liveried vehicles could inadvertently discriminate against other protected groups, argues Evan Morris, Vice Chairman of the National Association of Police Fire and Crime Panels

FEATURE: Gold has always been an attractive commodity for criminals, because of its high value, relative anonymity and ability to evade banking controls; now a new report has highlighted the organised crime groups – including corrupt state actors – who are controlling the mining, smuggling and trading of this precious metal across Central Africa, as Policing Insight’s Chris Allen reports.

FEATURE: The terrorist attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils four years ago this month left 14 people dead and more than 130 injured; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the National Counter-Terrorism Strategy launched by the Spanish Government since those attacks, as well as the continuing threat and risk posed to Spain by both violent jihadist terrorism and returning foreign terrorist fighters.

OPINION: Last month an Australian couple were jailed after being found guilty of enslaving a vulnerable Tamil woman for eight years, in one of the few cases where people have been prosecuted for slavery offences rather than related crimes; Dr John Coyne of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute believes the case should act as a reminder for police, prosecutors and the public that modern slavery exists in many areas of society, and also highlights latest UN policy guidance to help states tackle the issue.

FEATURE: New Zealand Police have worked with Australia’s Griffith University to take a critical look at their command and control processes, and improve understanding of good leadership and effective management; speaking at the Australia and New Zealand Society of Evidence-Based Policing (ANZSEBP) Conference, Assistant Commissioner Tusha Penny and Professor Justin Ready outlined the findings of their work, and plans to share best practice and lessons learned across the organisation.