Australia

Analysis: Hateful extremism must be addressed before it manifests itself as violent extremism – as unfolded in the 2019 Christchurch massacre in New Zealand – argues Professor Greg Barton, whose analysis of the Australian response to extremism calls for groups espousing hate that do not reach the threshold of criminality to be tackled, and new ways for police to record complaints that capture hate motivations.

OPINION: Statistics show that incidents of domestic violence increase significantly in the aftermath of natural disasters; Professor Jennifer Boddy and Researcher Celeste Harris of Queensland’s Griffith University set out how and why violence prevention should be a crucial part of emergency response.

Opinion: The arrest of one of the world’s most wanted alleged drugs lords has sparked debate around strategies to best tackle organised crime and minimise the harm caused to communities; Dr John Coyne, Head of Strategic Policing and Law Enforcement Program at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, explains the need for a more nuanced approach, rather than simply decapitating OC groups.

INSIGHT: In an increasingly digital world, the role of forensic linguistics will be crucial to law enforcement as an aid to correctly identifying text authors and voices, so investment in research and awareness raising among police officers and the judiciary, are vital to its success. Georgina Heydon outlines how this powerful, yet little known, tool can be integrated into investigations.

Australia Day Honours: We are pleased to publish and recognise the policing and criminal justice recipients of the 2021 Australia Day Honours. The team at Policing Insight offer our congratulations and thank all the recipients for their service and contribution to their communities, particularly in these challenging times.

FEATURE: The illegal trade in wildlife and plants threatens some of the world's most vulnerable and endangered species; but tackling this illicit activity can also help law enforcement agencies in the fight against other serious and organised international crime, as freelance journalist and specialist scientific and environmental writer Georgina Kenyon explains.

ANALYSIS: There's a common belief that cybercriminals are typically operating in organised crime groups, and are well rewarded for their efforts; but new research by Dr Roberto Musotto of Edith Cowan University and Professor David Wall of the University of Leeds suggests that in reality they are more like business workers, usually achieving relatively low returns.

ANALYSIS: As a tumultuous 2020 draws to a close, Katherine Van Gurp, Chief Executive Officer of the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency, explores how some of the main changes and shifting trends of recent times have collided with the pressures of the present, and what this may mean for policing and wider society moving forwards.

OPINION: The digital data trail each of us leaves online is commonly used by commercial organisations to target marketing and sales efforts; but as Dr Roberto Musotto, a Research Fellow at Western Australia’s Edith Cowan University explains, ‘social network analysis’ could be a crucial tool in enabling judges and jurors to assess the value of evidence in complex cases.

FEATURE: It’s been a tough year for policing – and for communities generally – around the world, but as Christmas approaches, the police family are digging deep to help each other as well as those less fortunate; Australian-based nurse and mental health champion Melissa Gole highlights some of the many fundraising efforts that those within policing can support this festive season.

INTERVIEW: With a force area covering 2.5 million square kilometres – the world's largest non-federated jurisdiction – Western Australia Police face unique challenges, and enforcing COVID-19 restrictions was certainly one of them; Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons spoke to WA Deputy Commissioner Gary Dreibergs about the pioneering, police-led app that made all the difference.

FEATURE: COVID-19 lockdowns around the world may have led to a fall in most domestic crime, but transnational drug-trafficking operations and other organised crime groups have been quick to adapt and overcome, leading to potentially bigger profits and a new criminal world order, warns Dr John Coyne of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

Opinion: In Australia, the recent Victorian Royal Commission into Police Management of Informants has highlighted concerns over police accountability, and called for major changes around oversight and transparency; but Professor Jude McCulloch and Professor Michael Maguire, both of Monash University, argue that real progress will require more extensive reform.

FREE SUBSCRIBER ACCESS: Policing Insight welcomes officers and staff from Victoria Police in Australia, who now have FREE access with the start of a new organisation wide subscription. They join a community of officers and staff from many other UK and international police forces with an interest in progressive policing. Read on to find out how to use your FREE subscriber access.

INTERVIEW: Policing has had a tough 12 months; but if the challenges are difficult now, what scenarios will law enforcement agencies face in 10 or 20 years time? Policing Insight Contributing Editor Tina Orr Munro spoke to Odette Meli of the Australian Federal Police about her work on futures thinking and forward planning for policing.

OPINION: With many countries taking a new approach to legalising and regulating prostitution, the Australian state of Victoria is carrying out a full review of its sex work laws; Dr Larissa Sandy, Senior Lecturer at RMIT University, believes fully decriminalising sex work is the best way forward.

INTERVIEW: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales Police Force’s latest inclusion and diversity strategy includes a career-long focus on ‘belonging and connection’; Assistant Commissioner Leanne McCusker spoke to Policing Insight Contributing Editor Tina Orr Munro about the expanded approach, and the need for clear direction, measurable outcomes, and visible change.

OPINION: Police in many countries have been given extraordinary powers to enforce lockdowns and tackle COVID-19; but as Dr John Coyne, Head of Strategic Policing and Law Enforcement Program at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) points out, applying those powers could seriously erode the public’s trust in policing.

OPINION: Politicians and campaign groups in Australia are calling for coercive control to be criminalised as part of legislation to tackle domestic violence; but without wider consultation and consideration, the move could be counter-productive, as Professors Kate Fitz-Gibbon and Silke Meyer of Monash University, and Prof Sandra Walklate of the University of Liverpool, explain.

OPINION: Monash University Emeritus Professor Jude McCulloch believes that a bill being considered by Australia's Victorian Parliament as part of legislation to tackle COVID-19 would provide police and other ‘authorised officers’ with unprecedented, extraordinary powers, and rely too heavily on a punitive approach to controlling the coronavirus, with limited checks and balances.

ANALYSIS: Mobile CCTV surveillance has recently appeared in public spaces in Melbourne, as part of a joint initiative between councils, Victoria Police and the Commonwealth Government to target those breaking lockdown rules; Professor Rick Sarre asks whether such moves are legal, effective and acceptable.

ANALYSIS: AUSTRALIA: The wearing of facemasks as a protection against pollution was increasingly common in some countries even before the pandemic, and masks are now commonly worn by protesters to evade identification. Associate Professor Paul Haskell-Dowland of Edith Cowan University examines how facial recognition systems will need to adapt.

ANALYSIS: AUSTRALIA: A recent survey shows a growing number of Australians support the legalisation of cannabis, and almost three in five back the idea of pill testing; Jarryd Bartle, Sessional Lecturer at RMIT University, and Nicole Lee, Professor at the National Drug Research Institute at Curtin University, explore the survey results, and the potential lessons for policy makers.

FEATURE: An industry body for security professionals has drawn up a blueprint for the lawful use of facial recognition technology; but, as Sarah Gibbons reports, thousands of leading international academics are warning that the algorithms and data used in such systems inevitably reinforce racial bias and prejudice.