United Kingdom

OPINION: A recently published article on Policing Insight regarding modern slavery highlighted concerns about the impact of UK Government reforms on victims of trafficking, but the outcome in Scotland differs significantly to England and Wales, says SNP policing spokesperson Allan Dorans MP, who believes researchers and others need to pay closer attention to the emerging divergence in policing north and south of the border.

FEATURE: A three-month facial recognition trial in Southampton has seen door staff equipped with body-worn cameras to check pub and club goers against a database of excluded offenders; the success of the scheme – described as the first of its kind in the country – has led to suggestions that it could be extended to other areas, as well as to other situations such as preventing those with football banning orders from attending matches, as Policing Insight’s James Sweetland reports.

OPINION: When a social media post earlier this month announced Met Police Commander Karen Findlay as the new Assistant Chief Constable of the British Transport Police, the response included a barrage of misogynistic and homophobic comments that drew strong criticism from the leaders of both forces and many other senior officers; former police officer Oliver Laurence, now host of the Protect and Serve podcast, believes more could and should be done to protect officers from online abuse.

FEATURE: A Metropolitan Police initiative which uses a digital triage approach to identify and maximise the potential of digital evidence in stalking, domestic abuse and sexual offences cases has led to investigation times cut by 75% and a 96% conviction rate for cases going to court – prompting calls for the same approach to be used more widely, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

OPINION: The debate around gender identity principles and their impact on police guidance and processes is proving challenging for UK public sector organisations including policing; but Dr Kath Murray, policing researcher and part of the MurrayBlackburnMackenzie policy analysis collective, believes Police Scotland’s approach to the gender identity debate – driven in part by a risk-averse culture reflecting its difficult start and recent controversies – will prove particularly problematic for the force and the community.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Body cameras have been used in UK policing for nearly two decades, having developed from a small 2005 trial in Devon and Cornwall into a standard tool for officers in the UK and across the world; Stuart Boutell, Director of Evidence Product Management at Motorola Solutions, spoke to Policing Insight about why body cameras are increasingly important and what their new V500 camera can do to help frontline officers, as James Sweetland reports.

OPINION: The UK’s complicated policing landscape of 45 territorial forces alongside specialist services and other national law enforcement agencies has often been regarded as one of the challenges to improving police efficiency and effectiveness; resilience expert Robert Hall, former Head of Analysis at the National Criminal Intelligence Service, argues that now is the time to revisit the potential of a centralised UK police force.

INTERVIEW: In the second part of Policing Insight’s exclusive interview with the new National Police Chiefs’ Council robotic process automation (RPA) lead Gillian Routledge, she spoke to James Sweetland about why she was so keen to take on this role, how she thinks RPA is perceived by those inside policing, and what it takes to actually implement these tools within forces.

FEATURE: A new report by the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse (CSA) has found that almost two thirds of police investigations into offences are dropped due to evidential issues and significantly different agency responses to CSA allegations depending on location, with progress on responses remaining ‘frustratingly siloed’, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

OPINION: The ‘New Met for London’ plan is an ambitious turnaround framework for the UK’s largest force, in the wake of a series of critical reports and concerns around performance and public confidence; but former police officer Oliver Laurence, now a consultant and host of the Protect and Serve podcast, fears that poor communications – both internal and external – could derail the plan before it has chance to make real progress.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: As one of seven Service Lines in the Office of the Police Chief Scientific Advisor’s Science and Technology Strategy, data analytics is playing an increasingly prominent role in police forces around the world. But how is it being applied to enable actionable decisions that improve policing outcomes across England and Wales?

FEATURE: Comments and experiences of the criminal justice system shared by the families of murder victims highlighted some harrowing ordeals; now a new analysis of their stories using an AI-based methodology developed by Professor Jonathan Crego has highlighted key themes and opportunities for greater support and dignity, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: Further progress was made recently on laying the groundwork for the European Union’s AI Act, legislation that is due to come into place next year and is being watched by politicians, suppliers, campaign groups and police; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the latest developments in the progress of the Act, and the implications for law enforcement in the UK and more widely.

INTERVIEW: Kurtis Christoforides, CEO of police recruitment and training charity Police Now, spoke to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons about the importance of attracting the “broadest and best” range of talent through a variety of entry routes, the new recruitment programme for specialist counter-terror detectives, and the need for all officers to be supported to ensure a representative service.

INTERVIEW: Former national police lead for child protection Simon Bailey tells Policing Insight’s Ian Weinfass how technological advances and chief executives focusing on profit are making it harder to keep young people safe online, and why he has founded the Excellence in Online Protection Awards to honour those working in the field.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Debbie Kettle talks about the collaboration and research that has underlined the importance of multi-agency cohesion in providing adequate and efficient victim support.

FEATURE: The early findings of a joint inspection by HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate and HM Inspector of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services into case building by police and the CPS has found bureaucratic processes and IT challenges as well as an inexperienced workforce are creating barriers and tensions between the two organisations – but the closer working relationships of specialist teams could bring real benefits, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

OPINION: The recent acid attack on a mother and her children in London was horrific, but sadly such events are not isolated incidents, with attacks on the rise in the UK and around the world; one of the problems, argues University of Bristol Professor of Criminology Aisha K Gill, is that the gendered, targeted nature of this violence is often not fully recognised by the criminal justice system.

INTERVIEW: In an exclusive two-part interview, Gillian Routledge – the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s new Robotic Process Automation (RPA) lead – spoke to Policing Insight’s James Sweetland about what RPA can offer policing, why it’s likely to free up police time rather than take out jobs, and her vision for making the most of this exciting set of tools.

ANALYSIS: Last year the UK Government reformed the National Referral Mechanism – the framework for identifying potential victims of modern slavery – in an effort to speed up decision making and police action against those accused of exploitation; but Research Assistant Ying Zhang and Professor Chee Yew Wong of the University of Leeds argue that the reforms have actually made the situation considerably worse for potential victims.

FEATURE: With elections taking place in the UK and a number of other countries in 2024, the volume and impact of digital disinformation looks likely to reach new levels – and policing is not immune from being targeted by those determined to drive division and hatred, as Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth reports.

FEATURE: An operation launched by Thames Valley Police to use in-house drug testing in possession with intent to supply cases has cut delays in bringing cases to court, improved outcomes and proved effective in taking dealers off the street, with other forces now looking to implement the same approach, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: In the latest in the new series of The Police Student focusing on Criminology in Policing, Policing Insight Academic Editor Dr Carina O’Reilly explores right realist perspectives, rational actors, and the development of a societal ‘underclass’.

OPINION: Last month’s Annual Youth Justice Statistics for 2022-23 showed fewer children sentenced or cautioned, improvements in disproportionality, and the lowest number of children in custody, but more children being stopped and searched and arrested, including those entering the criminal justice system for the first time; Keith Fraser, Youth Justice Board Chair and Board Champion for Over-Represented Children believes that while there are “rays of optimism” in the figures, much more need to be done to embed change.