United Kingdom

NEWS: MayorWatch's Martin Hoscik reports on news of more than 4,000 Black and Minority Ethnic officers now serving in the Met Police's ranks

NEWS: A unique conference in Munich later this month - with attendance free - showcases research on social media and community policing across Europe for the first time. Lindsey Gunby of West Yorkshire for Innovation, the organisers of the conference, talks about the projects and their potential for technology to help transform community policing.

OPINION: The 2016 Police Now Summer Academy has just graduated 108 new recruit police officers ready for independent patrol. Chris Heathcote, Director and Gold Commander of the Academy, talks about why he believes passionately in the promise of Police Now and what it can offer to police forces across the country.

OPINION: Ch Supt Gordan Crossan, President of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents, argues that we 'underestimate at our peril' the impact on officers and staff of increased demand.

NEWS: Outstanding work by Superintendents across the country in leadership, championing and encouraging women, and supporting colleagues has been recognised in the PSAEW President’s Awards.

PSAEW CONFERENCE 2016: Policing Insight's rolling coverage of the National Conference of the Police Superintendents' Association of England and Wales, taking place in Stratford-upon-Avon between Monday 5th to Wednesday 7th September.

NEWS: Policing Minister Brandon Lewis addresses audience at the 2016 Police Superintendents Association of England & Wales (PSAEW) conference.

NEWS: Ch Supt Gavin Thomas's address as President to the Police Superintendents' Association of England and Wales' National Conference

PSAEW CONFERENCE 2016: Policing Insight's rolling coverage of the National Conference of the Police Superintendents' Association of England and Wales, taking place in Stratford-upon-Avon between Monday 5th to Wednesday 7th September.

PSAEW CONFERENCE 2016: Vice President of the Police Superintendents' Association of England and Wales, Ch Supt Paul Griffiths, addresses the Association's National Conference about a future for policing

PSAEW CONFERENCE 2016: Policing Insight's rolling coverage of the National Conference of the Police Superintendents' Association of England and Wales, taking place in Stratford-upon-Avon between Monday 5th to Wednesday 7th September.

NEWS: Ch. Supt. Gavin Thomas of the Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales says officers responsible for protecting vulnerable people should have training and development to an agreed national standard. He sets out what he'll tell the Association's annual conference this week.

ANALYSIS: Did parliamentary scrutiny fail in the case of Police Scotland? Kath Murray argues that at least some of the difficulties that have since beset the force might be allied to the Scottish political system - here, she examines the evidence.

OPINION: How inclusive is the modern police force for LGBT officers, and is there work still to do? On 31 August, @WeCops held an online debate on LGBT officers and modern policing, with Detective Superintendent Joanne Edwards (@Joedwar25098564), supported by @lancpolequality as hosts. Eric Halford (@DSEricHalford) summarises the debate.

OPINION: Are senior officers offering a 'tin ear' to complaints of low police morale? Rick Muir, Director of the Police Foundation, considers how best to make positive changes in a context of austerity.

ANALYSIS: Julian Foster, Global co-lead for the Social Media Center of Excellence at Motorola Solutions, examines how social media is being used in policing – the opportunities, success stories, key challenges and future potential.

ANALYSIS: New research by the Police Foundation and Perpetuity Research suggests up to 45% of fraud is linked to organised crime, a much higher percentage than previously thought. Mike Skidmore of the Foundation argues that police should target the problem, not the offenders.

IN THE NEWS: Our Weekly Review, drawing on our popular Media Monitor database, picks up the key news stories and reports of the week, and explains why they matter to you.

OPINION: Cop and comic Alfie Moore takes a wry look at police call handling in the strangest of circumstances - "we're like Google with flashing blue lights!"

OPINION: Charlotte Pickles, Deputy Director and Head of Research at the Reform think tank, looks at the potential for directly elected mayors and identifies lessons from the experience of PCCs

NEWS: Bernard Rix, CoPaCC Chief Executive, provides details of CoPaCC's 2016 examination of PCCs' and OPCCs' transparency

OPINION: Kathryn Holloway, Police and Crime Commissioner for Bedfordshire, marks her first 100 days in office by publishing her first 100 achievements.

Friska Wirya has been engaged for over 18 months at Western Australia Police, the single largest jurisdiction in the world, as a change management specialist supporting the replacement of a mission-critical application. She blogs about the ten key leadership lessons she's learned from working with Western Australia's senior officers.

OPINION: Should the use of Tasers be banned on psychiatric wards, as suggested by Liberal Democrat Health spokesman Norman Lamb? Serving officer Nathan Constable says the proposal fails to acknowledge that there are times when people become so dangerous that staff cannot control them, and that simply banning Tasers doesn't deal with the real issues at stake.