United Kingdom

ANALYSIS: Though football crowd violence is less of a critical issue in the UK than it was in the 1980s, it remains a key concern in countries such as Sweden. Professor Clifford Stott outlines how partnership between academics and police forces has led to the development of theory and practice in reducing crowd violence, and flags up an upcoming CPD event at Keele University.

Interview: The long-awaited introduction of a new National ANPR System (NAS), originally scheduled to be in place by April 2016, has moved a step closer this year following a successful bid to the Police Transformation Fund to establish a National ANPR Co-ordinator and Transformation Team.Keith Potter speaks to Temporary Superintendent John Dwyer of North Yorkshire Police.

Interview: The Essex Police and Crime Commissioner is leading the race to become the first Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. Catherine Levin asks Roger Hirst about the urgency, benefits and costs of taking on responsibility for Essex County Fire and Rescue Service (ECFRS)

ANALYSIS: DCC Louisa Rolfe oversees West Midlands Police's WMP2020 change programme that features 33 individual projects designed to make the force more agile when fighting crime and more accessible to the public. Here, she explains how the force's innovative collaboration with Accenture is progressing.

ANALYSIS: Her Majesty The Queen last week opened the operational nerve centre known as the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to manage cyber incidents. Michael Shuff, Marketing Lead at PA Consulting's specialist cyber security arm, 7Safe, takes a look at the NCSC's role.

OPINION: The College of Policing recently announced three future entry streams to policing, one of which was a pre-entry degree qualification. Serving officer Rich Honess outlines his suggestions as to how those degrees might be structured, based on his previous experience of teacher training.

ANALYSIS: Last week the Police Foundation published its latest paper, A Natural Experiment in Neighbourhood Policing, from its Police Effectiveness in a Changing World project. Andy Higgins of the Foundation outlines the ramifications for neighbourhood policing, as the Foundation launches its new research project to explore its future.

OPINION: Research by the PSAEW into public protection units (PPUs) in police forces across England and Wales explored how cultural attitudes are creating difficulties for the recruitment, retention, morale and effectiveness of PPU. Gavin Thomas of the PSAEW argues that a change in police culture from blame to learning could help to overcome many of these difficulties.

OPINION: A recent survey of Metropolitan Police officers suggested that, while few wanted to be routinely armed, as many as three quarters of officers would like to be able to carry Tasers on duty. However, Professor Peter Squires of the University of Brighton argues that doing so could make the public less rather than more safe.

News: The Government announcement of £40m to help tackle child sexual exploitation won’t be enough to ‘save every child’ according to Greater Manchester’s Mayor and Police and Crime Commissioner, Tony Lloyd.

Interview: Last year, the Internet Watch Foundation marked its 20th anniversary.  Policing Insight talks to CEO Susie Hargreaves OBE about the organisation's changing role and its relationship with its police partners. 

ANALYSIS: The Home Affairs Select Committee has recently launched an inquiry into policing for the future, examining changing demands and new challenges. In the first of two articles for Policing Insight, crime expert and author Tom Gash suggests the Committee needs to focus their attention on cybercrime.

OPINION: "Even Chief Constables and Commissioners are publicly admitting that officer morale is a problem...". Serving officer and blogger "Police Guvnor" provides an inspector's perspective on officer welfare.

NEWS: Armed police should face less suspicion and be trusted more, said Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe today in his final set-piece speech delivered at the Royal United Services Institute. Hogan-Howe, who retires later this month, also made a pointed case for the budget of the Metropolitan Police to be maintained. Here we reproduce the full text of Hogan-Howe's address.

Interview: As deaths in custody have reduced, the general trend for suicides following custody has increased. Can the national strategy on police custody help forces protect vulnerable people? Syreeta Lund speaks to Surrey chief constable Nick Ephgrave, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) lead on custody.

OPINION: Increased demand and the push to professionalisation can have a human cost. Police blogger and serving officer 'Nathan Constable' says the number of officers considering leaving the job is higher than he can ever remember - but explains why he's personally decided to stay in the service.

ANALYSIS: Should policing become a 'profession'? What does that mean for serving officers and their sense of themselves as professionals? Emma Williams of Canterbury Christ Church University and Dr Ian Hesketh, Senior Advisor to the College of Policing, unpick the College's radical mission to professionalise the police service.

ANALYSIS: The Home Affairs Select Committee has recently launched an inquiry into policing for the future, examining changing demands and new challenges. In the first of two articles for Policing Insight, crime expert and author Tom Gash suggests the Committee needs to focus their attention on cybercrime.

News insight: Collaborative working has been hailed as the way forward, but not all projects come to fruition. Syreeta Lund talks to PCC Sue Mountstevens about why her force has abandoned plans to share back office processes with two other forces.

ANALYSIS: Why are there so few applicants for many senior police jobs? Following the publication earlier this week of College of Policing research into the issue, Gavin Hales of the Police Foundation describes his own findings on the barriers to promotion at chief officer level.

Analysis: In 2015, the National Audit Office revealed forces were sitting on nearly £2bn in reserves sparking media outrage. Two years on and it is a very different story. Policing Insight reports on how forces are using their reserves to secure their finances and fund their futures.

OPINION: The role and future of the Special Constabulary has been much debated in recent months, and in January, @wecops hosted a debate on the topic, led by Special Constabulary Chief Officer Dale Checksfield. Here, Dale summarises that debate, and suggests some priorities for the years ahead.

NEWS: CoPaCC is to undertake a major new Thematic, "Unlocking the Power of Police ICT". Bernard Rix, CoPaCC Chief Executive, provides more details.

ANALYSIS: Headline figures from the Police Federation's recent survey of officer welfare show shocking levels of demand, overwhelming workload, and stress-related illness. Here, Mary Elliot-Davies of the Federation outlines the key findings and what comes next in the Fed's campaign for change.