Europe

ANALYSIS: With the possibility of the UK leaving the EU without a deal becoming more likely, the Institute for Government recently published a timely report on the need for ongoing security co-operation. Maddy Thimont Jack of the IfG explains the report's findings.

INSIGHT: The Dutch National Police issued its officers and staff with 63,000 smartphones. The move opened up opportunities to complete tasks more quickly, but also to do things differently. Commissaris van politie and Mobile Programme Manager Edwin Delwel says mobile technology can be a game-changer for policing, if implemented well.

INSIGHT: The globalisation of mass communication and the permeation of the internet into almost all aspects of society has further enabled serious societal threats to exploit and target citizens, businesses and, through the emergence of online terrorism, democratic ideals. Professor Babak Akhgar FBCS, Director of CENTRIC (Centre of Excellence in Terrorism, Resilience, Intelligence & Organised Crime Research) highlights the challenges and introduces a new multi-disciplinary research and innovation project which seeks to address them.

OPINION: Other European countries face football-related violence - and often respond to it in similar ways to the UK. However, ENABLE, a research project on football policing, is seeking to explore new ways of policing football fans. Ch. Supt. Owen West describes the project's latest visit to see how Swiss police deal with their 'Ultras'.

LONG READ: International policing is central to peacebuilding in fragile states, but there has been little opportunity for practitioners to share with each other what they have learned on the ground. Following a workshop last year that brought together experts from the field, Georgina Sinclair of Strategic Expertise International and Rohan Burdett, an independent Security and Justice Development consultant, introduce a series of essays on the subject.

OPINION: International policing missions are complex and challenging, and it is difficult for practitioners to share lessons from the ground. A workshop in Lisbon last year brought together experts from the field. Dr Georgina Sinclair of Strategic Expertise International introduces the background to the workshop, and its outputs - a set of essays that Policing Insight is now serialising.

LONG READ: The experience of terrorist attacks in the US and in Germany shows us how important it is for police and security agencies to share systems. But what can we learn from those countries that have begun the process of harmonising police ICT? In this Long Read,Hans-Jürg Käser of the Swiss Canton of Berne explores what European countries have done towards consolidating police systems and what can be learned.

OPINION: Nearly three months after Emmanuel Macron's shock presidential victory, France remains beset by serious security problems. Dr Joseph Downing of Aix-Marseille University explores the ongoing security and policing issues that Macron has to overcome.

OPINION: Human trafficking and modern-day slavery are international organised crimes that affect communities on a local level. Andy Staniforth, Head of West Yorkshire for Innovation, describes the work that West Yorkshire Police together with European partners, academia and other partners to find new ways to tackle these crimes.

Technology: Everything from mobile phones and laptops to cameras and cars broadcast their MAC addresses as soon as they are switched on. Keith Potter examines how Australia's Queensland Police are using the data to investigate serious crime in Australia and whether the UK could adopt a similar approach.

OPINION: How can football policing be made less confrontational and more family-friendly? Chief Superintendent Owen West of West Yorkshire Police reflects on the work of ‘Enable’ – a multi-stakeholder research partnership aiming to develop good practice in the safety and security challenges facing professional football in Sweden.

Analysis: Crime is becoming increasingly corporate and global in nature with highly-organised crime syndicates able to exploit the latest technology. Rob Wainwright, director of Europol, outlines the latest challenges and trends.