ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: The Inspire Justice Awards is the UK’s only awards programme that celebrates the achievements of the entire justice sector workforce. Hosting the awards on 12 September is journalist and TV presenter Clive Myrie. Ahead of the big day we spoke to Clive about his life and career and why it is important to recognise the hidden heroes of the justice system.

INTERVIEW: Following the publication of the recent UK violence against women and girls (VAWG) National Policing Statement, ACC Sam Millar, Strategic Programme Director of the VAWG Taskforce, spoke to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons about re-shaping the service to victims, the need for greater collaboration and a whole system approach, and the importance of supporting front-line staff investigating often high-harm offences.  

OPINION: The recent HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services report into the Metropolitan Police Service made difficult reading, with the force graded as less than adequate in seven out of eight performance areas; author and former Met Chief Superintendent John Sutherland believes that for the force to recover, there needs to be greater understanding and acknowledgement of the reasons behind the current crisis.

INTERVIEW: After the launch of the first Police Race Action Plan Progress Report, Policing Insight’s Ian Weinfass spoke to Programme Director, Temporary Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dr Alison Heydari, about losing the support of a key staff association, institutional racism, and the future of the race action plan in the face of funding uncertainties.

OPINION: Amid concerns that the recent riots in the UK were fuelled by misinformation spread on social media, some have questioned whether the Online Safety Act passed last year needs to be revisited; however, Associate Professor Dr Olivia Brown and Postdoctoral Researcher Dr Alicia Cork of the University of Bath argue that with parts of the Act not due to come into effect until late 2024, the effectiveness of the legislation won’t be fully understood until it has been tested in another situation like the recent riots.

ANALYSIS: Faced with austerity cuts, the Metropolitan Police opted for a programme of station closures rather than reducing officer numbers; recent research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies suggest the approach has led to more violent crime and lower rates of solved cases and crime reporting, as report author Professor Elisa Facchetti explained to Policing Insight’s James Sweetland.

OPINION: While attempts to tackle the issue of illegal drugs through decriminalisation in the US and Canada have been less than successful, former Police Scotland Superintendent Martin Gallagher argues that as traditional enforcement measures have failed, it’s time for a bolder approach to drug use and consumption, with regulating, legitimising and taxing supply a crucial step towards true change and rehabilitation.

INTERVIEW: Dr Ruth Parkes, senior lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire and expert on workplace trauma exposure and sexual offending, believes all police officers working with sexual offence material should receive stress inoculation training to be able to deal with the feelings of horror and revulsion they experience, as she explained to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

OPINION: With falling trust and confidence in UK policing increasingly a matter for public debate and media headlines, University of Hull Policing Degree Programme Director and former officer Mike McKue looks more closely at the some of the reasons behind the decline, the definitions and differences between the two terms, and what can be done to address the issues.

FEATURE: Recent riots across many towns and cities in the UK saw a number of mosques targeted by violent protestors; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the situation facing both faith communities and the police in the UK, as well as the European project established by a collaboration of police forces looking to improve safety and security measures for places of worship.

ANALYSIS: The riots and public disorder which have affected towns and cities across the UK during recent weeks took place against a backdrop of populist politics and a change in protest tactics; Dr Wendy Laverick, Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Policing at the University of Hull, and Wrexham Glyndwr University Visiting Professor of Criminology Dr Peter Joyce, explore the political background to the disorder, the protest tactics of the far right, and possible solution to this and other disorder in the future.

INTERVIEW: The first Police Now counter-terrorism (CT) graduate scheme officially launched earlier this year, with new officers set to enter CT roles within the Metropolitan Police in just two years; in the second of a two-part series, Policing Insight’s James Sweetland spoke with trainees on the programme to find out what attracted them to Police Now, their perceptions of policing, and what new skills they think they can offer CT policing.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: With the technology at our disposal being more predictive, fast and accurate than ever before, there is a huge opportunity to revert to a mission that has accidentally been sidestepped in recent years. Can and should equal attention be paid towards the offender and prevention?

FEATURE: Officers across England and Wales investigating complex child sexual abuse and exploitation cases have been encouraged to access free specialist advice and support from the national Hydrant Programme during their investigations, to improve the outcomes for victims and survivors, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

ANALYSIS: The recent public disorder in the UK that has left more than 100 police officers injured and communities in towns and cities badly damaged has been labelled as ‘far-right thuggery’ by the Government and ‘far-right riots’ in the media; but Professor Chris Allen of the University of Leicester warns that labelling such protests as ‘far right’ could be inaccurate, misleading, and potentially counter-productive.

ANALYSIS: UK policing in the 21st century faces a raft of complex challenges, but officers are rarely asked for their own views on what they are and how they should be tackled; new research based on a series of in-depth interviews with experienced UK officers, carried out by Dr Rasha Kassem, Senior Lecturer at Aston University, and Major Dr Engin Erken, Lecturer at Turkey’s Gendarmerie and Coast Guard Academy, identified the key challenges officers face, and their suggestions on how they could be solved.

ANALYSIS: The continuing and co-ordinated public disorder across the UK has brought renewed calls for more extreme responses from police, including the use of water cannons and turning to the Army; former chief superintendent and specialist in public order policing Owen West, now a Senior Policing Lecturer at Edge Hill University, argues that while those measures may not be effective, there are steps that forces can take to strengthen public order policing in the short to medium term.

ANALYSIS: In the third in a series of four articles, Policing Insight’s Matthew Wood explores the issues around police leadership, why traditional approaches can lead to low morale and toxic work environments, and how adopting and implementing transformational leadership practices can deliver benefits for officers and the communities they serve.

INNOVATION: Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) to have a major impact on the delivery of UK policing, and the environment necessary to encourage creativity and innovation that will make the best use of the technology.

INNOVATION: As advances in technology bring huge potential into forensic investigation, Shashi Angadi, Chief Technology Officer of data software specialists Exterro, explores the fascinating world of forensic science and how advanced software and tools are making crime-solving faster, more accurate, and much more collaborative.

INTERVIEW: The UK’s first counter-terrorism (CT) graduate scheme officially launched earlier this year, with new officers set to enter CT roles with the Met Police within just two years; in the first of a two-part series, Policing Insight’s James Sweetland spoke with Commander Dominic Murphy, Head of the Met’s CT Command, and Police Now CEO Kurtis Christoforides, to understand more about this innovative new approach.

ADVERTISEMENT PROMOTION: Ahead of this year’s Inspire Justice Awards ceremony supported by Policing Insight and Policing TV, Skills for Justice spoke to Andy Cooke QPM DL, Chief Inspector at HMICFRS, one of a number of senior figures who will be taking to the stage to present Inspire Justice Awards finalists with their coveted trophies. Andy reflects on the past few years at the inspectorate and shares his take on what makes those working behind the scenes in the justice sector so special.

ANAYLSIS: A review of stalking in London, carried out by the city’s Victims’ Commissioner, Claire Waxman, describes the response to victims as “woefully inadequate” and calls for legislative reform, increased awareness and training, and updated protocols from police chiefs and prosecutors to improve criminal justice outcomes and support for victims across England and Wales, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

INNOVATION: With the police response to those in mental health crisis coming increasingly under focus, Brunel University’s Amy Everitt, and Dr Cody Porter and Dr Paul Gavin from UWE Bristol, highlight the key elements of a new multi-agency training approach held at Brunel University earlier this year, providing real-world immersive scenarios as well as expert insight for frontline emergency responders.