United Kingdom

OPINION: CoPaCC Chief Executive Bernard Rix takes a look at HMIC's approach to police inspections. He asks whether it's time for Parliament and the public to see how HMIC measures up against the very same Efficiency, Effectiveness and Legitimacy standards it applies in its own inspections of police forces.

OPINION: Taser has been a hot topic in recent weeks, with surveys suggesting that both police officers and the public want to see more Tasers on the streets. Steve White of the Police Federation argues that more open public engagement is needed - as well as sufficient resources - to make sure officers get the kit they need.

OPINION: Is policing losing a sense of its past? As a military historian who has worked closely with the US and UK military, and who has also had insight into UK policing, Dr Jill S. Russell is convinced of the value an ‘official history’ approach would bring to policing research, professional development, and policy.

ANALYSIS: The Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland have set out their strategy for policing in Scotland over the next ten years - Policing 2026. Independent researcher Kath Murray analyses the strategy and what it really means in the long term for policing in Scotland.

News feature: Police officers’ understanding of fraud and cyber crime needs to match their ability to respond to and investigate ‘mainstream’ offences such as theft and burglary if the service is to fulfil its primary role of keeping the public safe, according to the City of London Police.

Feature: As the shortage of detectives reaches crisis levels, according to HMIC, some forces are turning to direct entry schemes to fill the gap, amid concerns the scheme ignores the value of time spent in a uniform and resources are already too stretched to successfully implement the programme. 

Analysis: Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner and NHS England's new £15m jointly-commissioned service to support vulnerable detainees and reduce re-offending is the first of its kind and is already attracting considerable interest, but can it deliver on its promises? 

OPINION: Last week's HMIC police effectiveness (PEEL) report painted a worrying picture about the state of policing. However, Gavin Hales of the Police Foundation argues the demands of HMIC may be impossible to meet for some forces - and that the report should be seen as a warning flag to the Home Office and Treasury that all is not well.

ANALYSIS: HMIC last week published their latest PEEL report, on police effectiveness. Crime expert and author Tom Gash provides his thoughts on the analysis they've presented.

ANALYSIS: Research on body-worn cameras has shown mixed results. Oh the one hand, complaints against police officers dropped spectacularly when the cameras were used; but on the other, rates of assault against officers during arrest were actually higher. Dr Alex Sutherland of RAND Europe examines police discretion as part of the explanation for these different outcomes.

OPINION: Earlier this week, HMIC assessed Durham Constabulary the highest overall classification, "outstanding", in their national assessment of police effectiveness. Durham PCC Ron Hogg provides his personal perspective on the Inspection.

ANALYSIS: Owen Boswarva is an open data activist with a background in risk analysis. In this article, Owen examines whether spending data currently published by PCCs meets the minimum criteria for open data. Which PCCs meet this minimum standard? Read on...

ANALYSIS: Is the way that we think about domestic abuse fit for purpose? Simon Kerss of Cambridgeshire County Council argues we need to differentiate between different types of domestic violence – and calls for a revision of national police guidance that will help forces break away from a monolithic response.

ANALYSIS: Ian Wiggett charts the rise of the Neighbourhood Policing model and examines its future as forces try to square the circle between resources and demand, specialisms and neighbourhoods

OPINION: With the Police and Crime Act 2017 receiving Royal Assent and the new statutory duty for the emergency services to collaborate coming into force in April, the Minister of State for Policing and the Fire Service hails the opportunities for the fire and rescue services to develop closer and stronger partnerships with policing

ANALYSIS: The fourth of a monthly series in which CoPaCC's Sandra Andrews takes a look at some of the most interesting and topical issues that Police and Crime Panels across England and Wales are dealing with. This month, Sandra looks at Dorset's work to improve its own performance, and examines the determination of allowances for Panel members in other PCPs.

OPINION: Policing is being asked to move in two different directions at once: to grapple with geographically mobile crime, and to deal with increasingly complex issues requiring complex local solutions. Rick Muir of the Police Foundation makes a powerful case for deeper collaboration between agencies to tackle the challenges ahead.

OPINION: Earlier this month, Justice Minister Liz Truss announced the rebranding of the National Offenders' Management Service as Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). Andrew Sperling of Olliers Solicitors warns that the new organisation needs to demonstrate real change - or the alterations announced amount to no more than putting lipstick on a pig.

OPINION: Taking on a 45,000-strong organisation, with a budget of more than £2.5 billion would stretch the most seasoned corporate executive - and the Met faces some serious challenges in the years ahead. Nick Alston of Anglia Ruskin University's Policing Institute for the Eastern Region warns that the role may be too demanding for any senior officer.

Opinion: Sir Hugh Orde OBE QPM, former chief constable of PSNI and head of what was then the Association of Chief Police Officers explores the challenges facing Cressida Dick, the newly-appointed Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service, and the skills and attributes she brings to the role.

ANALYSIS: As the debate over spit hoods continues, Graham Hooper of Canterbury Christ Church University briefly outlines the competing claims of those in favour and against their use.

OPINION: The use of spit hoods has become steeped in controversy in recent months. For officers, they are vital protection against contagious diseases such as HIV and Hep C, but for others they are primitive and are being introduced without proper consultation. Policing Insight takes a look at both sides of the debate with Ian Pointon, chairman of Kent Police Federation and leading human rights lawyer Chris Topping presenting opposing views.

OPINION: Cressida Dick has today been appointed as the new Metropolitan Police Commissioner, replacing outgoing Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe. Chief Superintendent John Sutherland takes an insider's look at what will be waiting in the new Commissioner's in-tray.

OPINION: With the announcement today of Cressida Dick as the new Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Rory Geoghegan of the Centre for Public Safety offers an account of the four major challenges facing the new Commissioner and the Met in the years ahead.