Europe

INTERVIEW: Tecnalia, the largest centre of applied research and technological development in Spain and a member of the Basque Research and Technology Alliance, is a partner in the NOTIONES project, a European network bringing police agencies together to improve the capacity and capability of intelligence functions; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth spoke to Tecnalia Project Manager Olatz Ibáñez about the organisation’s work with the NOTIONES network, and the benefits and challenges of participating in European security research and innovation projects.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Visit GPEC® digital, supported by Policing Insight as media partner, the special event focused on digitalization and electronics in the the areas of internal security, law enforcement and homeland defence.

FEATURE: A new Europol and Eurojust report on the challenges of tackling cybercrime has highlighted the huge volumes and difficult access to data, increasingly sophisticated anonymising measures deployed by criminals, and the legal and logistical difficulties of cross-border investigations as some of the key barriers for law enforcement, despite the “progressive strides” made by agencies and governments to address the issues, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: Last month saw joint calls from the National Police Chiefs’ Council, College of Police and Counter-Terrorism Policing for UK policing to be given more freedom to share details around investigations that could help to quell the online misinformation fuelling violence and disorder; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the challenges around sharing of information, as well as the artificial intelligence tools that can help to tackle misinformation.

INTERVIEW: Since taking up her post as Iceland’s National Police Commissioner five years ago, Sigríður Björk Guðjónsdóttir has made significant strides in addressing gender inequality within the force, and in the service it provides; she spoke to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons about the need to keep pushing for greater gender equality, the new approaches to responding to domestic violence, and why appointing senior leaders from outside of policing helps to change potentially damaging cultures.

ANALYSIS: Investigative genetic genealogy is being used by police forces around the world to identify both the discovered remains of unknown individuals, and to track down those responsible for murders and other violent crimes; in this edited version of her Churchill Fellowship report, Dr Emma Tilley of the University of Staffordshire looks at the use of investigative genetic genealogy in police investigations around the world, the benefits and challenges it offers, and how can UK policing can implement this new technique.

FEATURE: A new report from the Garda Policing Authority on the performance of the service has highlighted the need for sustained investment and an “overarching framework” for the introduction and use of technology, as well as continuing efforts to address challenges around recruitment and retention, to maintain An Garda Síochána’s progress on service delivery, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: The recent wildfires sweeping across Southern California highlight the importance of efficient and effective disaster management; in the wake of this tragedy, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the latest European initiative to harness the benefits of drone technology to provide disaster management agencies and first responders including police with up-to-date and accurate information that can improve resilience, response and recovery in the face of such catastrophes.

FEATURE: In the wake of the jihadist terror attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth examines the concept of ‘leaderless jihad’ and explores the ongoing risk to countries in Europe (and further afield) highlighted by the recent European Union Terrorism Situation and Trend Report.

FEATURE: As law enforcement around the world embarks on meeting the challenges of 2025, Editor Keith Potter looks back over the key issues Policing Insight covered in 2024 – from technological threats and opportunities, to workforce wellbeing, the role of leadership, and the increasing focus on reform – and how these may affect the next 12 months.

ANALYSIS: While the recruitment of minors into organised crime and terrorism is not new, a recent Europol briefing warns that youngsters aged 13-17 are now involved as perpetrators in more than 70% of all European criminal markets, with gangs using increasingly targeted messaging on social media platforms and “gamified” challenges and missions for minors to blur the lines between friendship and exploitation, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: In the wake of the recent terrorist arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne, Australia, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the continuing efforts to develop collaborative approaches between congregations, communities and law enforcement to ensure the safety and protection of places of worship.

FEATURE: With the “global health emergency” of child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSAE) reaching harrowing levels, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the work of Protect and Prevent Through Support – a Europe-wide initiative led by the Polish Platform for Homeland Security – in collating data and co-ordinating services to prevent CSAE.

ANALYSIS: Researchers at Europol have identified the challenges created by the enhanced privacy levels offered through home routing – a service established as part of the introduction and expansion of 5G – which could leave law enforcement agencies unable to undertake lawful interception of calls, messages and other data, as Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth reports.

FEATURE: Twelve years ago this month the planned suicide bombing of a US airport by an employee fuelled by online extremist content was successfully thwarted by the FBI, in what became a benchmark for covert insider threat operations; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks back at the Terry Lee Loewen case, and also at ongoing work to develop a strategy to help businesses detect and deter potential internal hostile actors.

FEATURE: A new report by the Garda Síochána Inspectorate has called for the force to carry out a strategic threat and risk assessment to identify and tackle transnational organised crime; a workforce plan to better allocate resources, prioritising data-informed processes, and adopting an “all-island” approach to organised crime were also among more than 60 recommendations, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

INNOVATION: Tobias Stenström, Head of Camera Surveillance, Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Analytics for the Swedish Police Authority’s West Region, believes that data-driven policing “requires a different type of leadership” that “might be out of many bosses’ comfort zones”; speaking at a recent conference he also revealed how Swedish police are exploiting AI tools like ChatGPT and object recognition tech, as Policing Insight’s James Sweetland reports.

FEATURE: Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth explores the findings of a new report from the Dublin-based Enhancing Faith Institutions consultancy, which highlights the increase in crimes against all religious communities and places of worship in Europe in the 12 months since the tragic attack in Israel on 7 October, and the subsequent devastating loss of life and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

INNOVATION: Many police forces around the world are facing new and ever-changing challenges – both in the ‘real world’ and online – and efforts to implement community policing approaches face an increasingly complex landscape; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at a new European Commission initiative to help police and other agencies meet those challenges, leveraging social sciences methodologies as well as the latest technology.

ANALYSIS: In the third in a series of five articles looking at the big debates in police use of facial recognition (FR), extracted from this year’s ‘Facing the future: The rise of facial recognition in policing’ report, Policing Insight’s James Sweetland explored human involvement in overseeing FR systems – often seen as an essential requirement for a trustworthy use of the technology, but does the human presence really reduce bias?

INTERVIEW: Estonia’s Police and Border Guard Board face a unique set of challenges, protecting its communities and securing a border that is also the external border of the European Union; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth spoke to Hannes Järvine, Strategy Bureau Project Manager in the Board’s Development Department, about the responsibilities of keeping Estonian citizens safe and borders secure, and how collaborative research and innovation are helping to enhance the service’s operational capabilities.

FEATURE: As the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC), Ireland’s independent policing oversight body, prepares for its transition to the new Fiosrú – Oifig an Ombudsman Póilíneachta, the latest and final GSOC annual report highlights the efforts well underway for a smooth changeover, and the importance of ensuring the Fiosrú has adequate resources – particularly specialist staff – to fulfil its mandate, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: The EU’s Terrorist Content Online Regulation came into effect in June 2022, and included a requirement for media platforms and host service providers (HSPs) to take down terrorist content within an hour of receiving a removal order from a ‘competent authority’; but a new report suggests that a lack of technical expertise and awareness leaves many smaller HSPs struggling to comply with the Regulation, as Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth explains.

INTERVIEW: Policing Insight’s recent ‘Facing the future: the rise of facial recognition in policing’ report drew on 34 interviews with operational leaders and experts to examine how police use facial recognition (FR) around the world, and the key debates about the technology; as part of that project, James Sweetland interviewed Dr Nessa Lynch, Matheson Lecturer in Law, Innovation and Technology at University College Cork, about the risk and regulation of FR – and in this article, we share more from that insightful conversation.