ANALYSIS: While many businesses and communities struggled to overcome the challenges presented by the pandemic, COVID-19 also offered opportunities for fraudsters and cybercriminals to target both vulnerable individuals and financial support packages offered by governments around the world; Policing Insight’s Andy Staniforth looks at some of the steps being taken – and the early successes – in the fight against COVID-19 fraud.

THE POLICE STUDENT: Continuing a new series of The Police Student, Policing Insight Academic Editor Dr Carina O’Reilly takes a closer look at governance and accountability in UK policing – from local watch committees to the birth of the tripartite system, the introduction of PCCs, increasing politicisation, and the tension between independence and insight for those tasked with ensuring accountability.

Job Advertisement: The University of West London (UWL) is delighted to announce the formation of a new Institute for Policing Studies (IPS). UWL are now looking to recruit a Head of the new IPS to lead, develop and deliver the PEQF programmes under contract to Babcock International and develop UWL’s growing national and international reputation in professional policing practice and associated disciplines.

Job Advertisement: The University of West London (UWL) is delighted to announce the formation of a new Institute for Policing Studies (IPS). UWL are now looking to recruit a Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Policing whose expertise aligns with the IPS and who can make a significant contribution to our teaching, research and knowledge exchange activities.

INNOVATION: The need for policing to maximise the potential of the continuing digital revolution is often highlighted – but how well have UK forces ridden the wave of digital transformation so far? Policing adviser and former deputy chief constable Paul Kennedy, and policing consultant Damon Ugargol, examine the key new technologies for policing, how to overcome the challenges of legacy systems, and the opportunities offered by greater integration and interoperability.

FEATURE: The latest Home Office figures for the police use of terrorism-related powers show that arrests are at their lowest level since 2011, due largely to the overall reduction in crime during the pandemic; but counter-terror police have repeated concerns over the “perfect storm” for online radicalisation of children and vulnerable people that has seen terror-related arrests of under-18s rise, as Policing Insight’s Sean Howe reports.

Policing Friendship Tour: Policing Insight Publisher Bernard Rix’s Policing Friendship Tour recently arrived in the Peak District, where he was able to walk and talk with Michelle Buttery, Chief Executive for the Office of Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) for South Yorkshire, who spoke about her ‘baptism of fire’ in the job, the importance of impartiality, and her lead role on PCC strategy and performance.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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.

FEATURE: 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.

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.

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.

ADVERTISMENT FEATURE: Technology leader NEC Software Solutions has launched a new, fully hosted Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) software as the third product in their growing next generation cloud portfolio

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.

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.

OPINION: Police ethics advisor Montell Neufville explores the issue of police legitimacy, what it means and its relationship to building trust and confidence in policing, whose role it is to build that trust and confidence, and the opportunities and recommendations for how this can be achieved.

FEATURE: During the pandemic, most public and private sector organisations found technology and digital channels were critical to survival; but the large-scale public sector investment in digital transformation is not being matched by funding for cyber security measures, leaving police, the NHS and many others more vulnerable to cyber attack and data breaches, as Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth reports.