Weekly Media Monitor summary
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.
United Kingdom
#thinkdigital: The changing nature of crime and how to police the digital age
ANALYSIS: How is policing responding to the challenges of digital crime? Giles Herdale of the National Police Chiefs' Council lays out the three priority areas that will fundamentally change policing and ready it for the challenges of policing by consent in a digital age.
Gathering Cloud reveals opportunity for UK police
OPINION: Many police forces are exploring the possibilities of cloud-based data management, but can face significant barriers to implementation - not least budgetary restraints. However, James Slessor of Accenture argues that next-generation policing will depend on the capabilities that cloud technology will offer.
Connecting up: Lancashire first force to go live with Northgate’s CONNECT platform
NEWS: Lancashire has become the first police force to go live with a force-specific instance of CONNECT, Northgate Public Services' new software platform. The move has seen Lancashire over a million legacy cases, five million associated files and 10,000 live case files.
Is policing a closed shop? Recruitment, ‘weak ties’, and diversity
ANALYSIS: Do we really understand unconscious bias in police recruitment? Serving officer Gareth Stubbs argues that 'weak' social ties with serving officers can predict applicants' success in the police recruitment process, potentially undermining attempts to widen the diversity of police forces.
Supporting victims: Why restorative justice can benefit everyone
OPINION: The House of Commons Justice Select Committee in September published its report on restorative justice. Durham and Darlington Police and Crime Commissioner Ron Hogg welcomes the report, and outlines the way that Durham has led on the development of restorative approaches.
Brexit and policing: It’s time for PCCs and other police leaders to ‘step up to the plate’
OPINION: CoPaCC Director, John Tizard, reflects on CoPaCC's recent "Brexit: Implications for policing and security" event supported by leading law firm Fieldfisher. Many policing stakeholders contributed to the seminar discussion, including PCCs, Deputy PCCs, OPCC staff, senior and former police officers, national policing agency and government departmental officials.
Great expectations: What do the public want from the police?
OPINION: With shrinking budgets, the police are being asked to make hard choices about their priorities. Following last week's Excellence in Policing conference, Rick Muir of the Police Foundation argues that if we are to close the expectations gap, the police need to engage in a major exercise in public education.
The money to do the job: CC Neil Rhodes on bridging Lincolnshire’s £6 million funding gap
OPINION: Under the current funding model, Lincolnshire is projected to face a £6 million shortfall within the next three years - more than the entire pay bill for all of the force's PCSOs. Chief Constable Neil Rhodes outlines the urgent need for an interim solution.
Is police leadership development – worldwide – missing the mark?
OPINION: Self-leadership and resilience expert Kim Adams provides an Australian perspective on policing leadership, drawing on a professional career in performance and evaluation psychology plus eight years leading research and evaluation for the Queensland Police Service.
Policing’s search for diversity and inclusion: The futile quest
OPINION: Brian Langston, retired Assistant Chief Constable and former member of the National Black Police Association Executive writes that the current quest for representative 'Identity' diversity in the police service is misguided and unachievable, and it should be replaced with 'Cognitive' diversity.
Policing vulnerability: @wecops on Child Sexual Exploitation
OPINION: Some months ago, Jenna Bradley (one of the @wecops team) asked her fellow students for suggestions for an upcoming @wecops debate. Jonny Blackwell, a Chief Inspector for West Yorkshire Police responsible for Safeguarding, suggested Child Sexual Exploitation, or CSE. Emma Williams of Canterbury Christ Church University summarises the debate, hosted by Jonny and fellow volunteer Danielle Williams.
Brexit: Where do policing, criminal justice and domestic security now stand?
ANALYSIS: Ian Wiggett, CoPaCC Director and former Greater Manchester Police ACC, reflects on the learning from CoPaCC's "Brexit: Implications for policing and security" event last week, and asks PCCs and police chiefs, "What is the plan?"
Can we be confident? Thoughts on the HMIC report on Public Views on Policing in England and Wales
ANALYSIS: The HMIC recently released their report on public confidence in policing - and at first glance it seems good news. However, Dr Kevin Morrell of Warwick University and Emma Williams of Canterbury Christ Church University argue that there are a number of issues with the methodology and analysis of the research that means we cannot be entirely confident in reported confidence in the police.
Telling their stories: Police Federation research on police cuts and officer welfare
ANALYSIS: The recent substantial drop in police numbers led the Police Federation of England and Wales to study the impact of austerity on the welfare of officers. Mary Elliott-Davies of the Federation describes the fascination of watching results coming in - and the stark message of the early findings.
Headlining heritage: The tricky business of policing heritage crime
ANALYSIS: Interest in heritage crime, any act which ‘harms the value of England's heritage assets and their settings to this and future generations,’ has been slowly gathering pace. Researching this marginalised area, Bethan Poyser found that understandings and perceptions of heritage crime vary greatly between place managers and the police, leading to extreme frustration for both parties.