OPINION: Levels of violent crime across America saw an unprecedented increase in 2020, and remain worryingly high in 2021; in this latest essay from the Violence Reduction Project, born and bred city resident Voice of Chicago highlights the devastating impact of the increase in the number of murders, violence and gun crime has had on the city’s Black community, and what can be done to address the problem.

ANALYSIS: As part of its wider work on the impact of COVID-19 on the criminal justice system, criminal justice research and consultancy organisation Crest Advisory are currently exploring whether out-of-court disposals can reduce the numbers attending court and cut reoffending rates; but as Crest’s Head of Strategy and Insight, Danny Shaw, and Analyst Delene Adams explain the first phase of the project took an unexpected turn.

OPINION: The increased use of police body-worn cameras has been welcomed in many quarters as a route to improving transparency and accountability; but Bryce Newell, Assistant Professor of Media Law and Policy at the University of Oregon, fears that public records laws such as those prevalent in the US can lead to people’s most sensitive and traumatic moments being made available for public viewing.

FEATURE: Last month the FBI and Australian Federal Police, working with the US Drug Enforcement Administration, Europol and police forces in 15 other countries, carried out a series of raids causing major disruption to criminal networks worldwide, thanks to information secured through a police-developed phone encryption app that had become a favourite with criminals; Policing Insight’s Andy Staniforth looks at the incredible success of Operation Trojan Shield.

OPINION: In the latest in his series of bi-monthly articles, Superintendent Simon Nelson, President of the Disabled Police Association, looks at the importance of creating a safe, supportive and inclusive environment within policing, which enables those with a disability to share their identity of living with those conditions, and ensure that forces make best use of the extensive skillsets that people have to offer.

ANALYSIS: Europol’s latest EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report (TE-SAT) found that while terrorist activity in Europe remained stable in 2020, more jihadist attacks were completed than stopped, as policing across the continent struggled to cope with the pandemic; Policing Insight’s Sean Howe looks at some of the key issues highlighted by the report, including the increase in radicalisation during COVID-19, and the growth of online extremist propaganda.

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: An interim report by HMICFRS into UK policing’s response to violence against women and girls (VAWG) has urged forces to build on current momentum to improve the service and support offered to the victims of such crimes; Policing Insight Deputy Editor Sarah Gibbons takes a closer look at the report, including suggestions for a ‘VAWG minimum standard’ for police investigations, and the need for a ‘radical refocus’ to tackle the problem.

ANALYSIS: The latest UN World Drug Report has highlighted how organised crime groups adapted to the impact of COVID-19 on drug trafficking, and the continuing growth of the dark web marketplace for narcotics; in this second of two articles focusing on the report, Policing Insight’s Chris Allen looks at the changes in the production, transportation and sale of the world’s most popular illegal drugs, with a focus on cocaine and methamphetamine.

FEATURE: As the UK continues to experience record numbers of drug-related deaths, some forces have turned increasingly to drug diversion schemes to tackle drug use, alongside the traditional prohibition deterrent; Thames Valley’s successful Drug Diversion Scheme breaches some of the ‘red line’ guidance on out of court disposals, but Chief Inspector Jason Kew believes the benefits to individuals and the wider community justify the approach.

ANALYSIS: Levels of violent crime across America saw an unprecedented increase in 2020, and remain worryingly high in 2021; in this latest essay from the Violence Reduction Project, Professor Joel Caplan of Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice explains how using a data-informed approach to crime prevention which engages local communities can offer an effective alternative to focusing solely on law enforcement.

ANALYSIS: The use of cognitive interviewing techniques to get the best outcomes from witness interviews has advanced significantly in recent years, but common errors and misconceptions continue to arise; ahead of this month’s Rapid-Fire Conference on Investigative Interviewing supported by Policing Insight, Becky Milne, Professor of Forensic Psychology, sets out her Top 10 tips for successfully carrying out cognitive interviews with witnesses.

OPINION: There are calls from some quarters in Australia for the introduction of ‘negligent rape’, based on a ‘recklessness’ towards the consent of the victim, rather than deliberately disregarding the lack of consent; but Dr Rachael Burgin of Swinburne University of Technology, University of Sydney PhD student Bri Lee, and Professor Jonathan Crowe of Bond University argue that such a move would create a rape ‘hierarchy’ that is both wrong and offensive.

ANALYSIS: Sixteen years ago today, four suicide bombers carrying rucksacks packed with explosives attacked central London, killing 52 people and injuring hundreds more; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at what happened in the lead up to the worst single terrorist atrocity on British soil, and how those events have continued to have an impact on counter-terrorism and UK policing through to the current day.

ANALYSIS: The latest UN World Drug Report has highlighted that while the COVID-19 pandemic briefly interrupted the international drug trade, organised crime groups soon adapted to the new conditions, and the dark web continued to be a key marketplace for narcotics; in the first of two articles focusing on the report, Policing Insight’s Chris Allen looks at the expansion of the dark web, and the key drug trafficking trends.

FEATURE: Originally launched as an anti-stalking pilot, Cheshire Constabulary’s Harm Reduction Unit now also applies its integrated multi-agency approach and psychological risk assessment of offenders to domestic abuse cases, as DS Dave Thomason and Consultant Forensic Psychologist Dan Price-Jones explained at the recent N8 Police Research Partnership Innovation Forum; Policing Insight Deputy Editor 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.

FEATURE: As recent experiences in the US have highlighted, public infrastructure and supply chains are increasingly a target for hackers with a wide range of motives, and the growing dependence on digital technology increases the risk of cyber attack for public sector bodies; but as Policing Insight’s Andy Staniforth reports, new European Commission Horizon funding is available for forces in the UK and Europe to strengthen their digital defences.

ANALYSIS: Levels of violent crime across America saw an unprecedented increase in 2020, and remain worryingly high in 2021; in this latest essay from the Violence Reduction Project, Professors Richard Rosenfeld and David Klinger of the University of Missouri, St. Louis outline how tackling three key issues – subduing the pandemic, redoubling smart policing tactics and implementing police reform – could provide a three-pronged strategy for reducing violent crime.

POLICING FRIENDSHIP TOUR: Policing Insight Publisher Bernard Rix’s Policing Friendship Tour recently arrived in Leamington Spa, where he was able to walk and talk with long-term police tech supplier Simon Hall about the challenges of police procurement, the launch of the new Police Digital Service, and the benefits of partnership working in reaching a global law enforcement market.

OPINION: A recent UK cross-party report has called for major changes to the forthcoming Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, along with a warning that the police must not become the ‘enforcement agency of the state’; but with the report’s criticism of recent protest policing quickly rejected by some senior leaders, former chief superintendent Owen West believes the concerns over political interference in policing are falling on deaf ears.

ANALYSIS: A number of forces across the UK have introduced embedded mental health professionals to improve and support the police response to those in crisis, and perceptions of such initiatives have been positive; now a new study by the N8 Policing Research Partnership has formally evaluated the West Yorkshire Police project, with impressive results, as Policing Insight Editor Keith Potter reports.

FEATURE: When the Swedish Police launched a recruitment drive to employ more than 6,000 additional officers by 2022, the challenges included ‘no show’ applicants, unsuitable candidates and concerns over diversity; by adopting a data-driven approach to the issues, they have been able to adopt new ways of working that have improved the application process and kept them on track for their ambitious target, as Policing Insight Contributing Editor Tina Orr Munro reports. 

ANALYSIS: Interviewing techniques used in the UK by law enforcement and the security services have improved considerably over the last two decades, but leading expert Prof Laurence Alison believes some simple errors and areas of confusion still remain; here, ahead of this month’s Rapid-Fire Conference on Investigative Interviewing, he sets out 10 top tips for interviewing and building a rapport with interviewees.