United Kingdom

Analysis: Already a serious problem for society, domestic abuse in all its forms has been exacerbated by the lockdown. Policing commentator Mark Brown says now is the time to implement a nationwide strategy similar CONTEST, the Government's counter-terror strategy, to tackle this 'epidemic within the pandemic'.

INNOVATION: In the third of a series of articles, DriveTech's Charlie Norman explores a new white paper on proposed changes to new cars sold in the UK from 2024. He argues current rules on a driver’s readiness to be on the road are in need of a comprehensive review. More complex vehicles on more crowded roads, with reduced levels of roads policing, may explain why improved safety equipment hasn’t had the desired impact. 

Opinion: The death of George Floyd in the United States has sparked mass protests across the world including the UK. Although the UK has a different policing model, UK policing has its own problems including the disproportionate use of Stop and Search powers. Here Rick Muir, Director of the Police Foundation, offers a way forward.

Interview: Former MPS police officer Chris Hansen is now Uber's Law Enforcement Outreach Liaison Manager for Northern and Eastern Europe. Here he tells Policing Insight how Uber is working with law enforcement on their investigations.

OPINION: In the light of George Floyd's death at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis USA, UK West Midlands Police Chief Constable, Dave Thompson QPM, compares UK and US policing, and explains why he is "convinced we have not moved far enough" on policing diverse societies.

ANALYSIS: The tragic death of George Floyd while in the custody of officers from the Minneapolis police department in US highlights the differences between US and UK policing but a common issue is the under representation of black and minority ethnic (BAME) in their ranks. Dr Daniel Silverstone and Dominique Walker from Liverpool John Moores University discuss the progress of improving diversity in UK policing.

OPINION: The death of George Floyd in the United States, following restraint by police officers, has cast a global spotlight on police use of force. Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson sets out how he and his OPCC team oversee and scrutinise the work of West Midlands Police, thus seeking to retain confidence in policing amongst all local communities.

ANALYSIS: Transform Justice's latest report reveals 99% of detentions are authorised by the custody sergeant. Director of Transform Justice Penelope Gibbs says the statistics suggest too many detentions are the result of a 'tick-box exercise' and it is time for a conversation about how custody decisions are made and scrutinised.

Job advertisement: Police Lecturer vacancies at Babcock International for their new flagship contract partnering with several Higher Education Institutes across London to deliver the new Metropolitan Police Service Policing Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF) framework.

Analysis: The Covid-19 outbreak has brought collaboration between agencies sharply into focus. Ian Blackhurst, Executive Director Safety at Northgate Public Services, sets out how the police and partners can connect better to ensure safer communities and lessen the chance of victims falling through the net.

Opinion: As the world reels from the death of George Floyd, Simon Bullock, Chair of the Dorset Police BAME Staff Support Network, argues that despite the significant differences in UK policing, there are some comparisons that might be made. 

OPINION: Policing Insight's publisher, Bernard Rix, considers what George Floyd's tragic and senseless death means for policing globally, and concludes that it's time for police chiefs worldwide to lead by example.

FEATURE: In our continuing series aimed at supporting the new police degree entry recruits, Policing Insight's Academic Editor Carina O'Reilly outlines a second case study of evidence-based policing in practice - this time looking at neighbourhood-level interventions and how they work.

INNOVATION: The Centre for Justice Innovation has just published 'Pre-court diversion for adults: A toolkit for practitioners'. Head of Policy and Public Affairs Duncan Lugton tells Policing Insight how the toolkit will help create and develop these increasingly popular diversionary initiatives. 

Analysis: The police service has shifted direction in the last twelve months with the announcement of an extra 20,000 officers and the creation of a new National Policing Board. Deloitte's Frances Lysak explores the findings of their latest report on what this might mean for Police and Crime Commissioners.

Opinion: Phrases such as 'isolated incident' and 'reassure the public' regularly appear in police statements to the public and press, regardless of the force, but crisis communication consultant Amanda Coleman argues their overuse has rendered them meaningless and it's time to take a different approach.

Analysis: As part of his role in assessing the digital fitness of police forces to manage the growth of digital channels, Steve Norris, Police Market Director for Salesforce UK says recurring issues around transparency, the democratisation of data and the technical debt are holding some forces back.

SPOTLIGHT ON THE WINNERS: An innovative public consultation process by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Northern Ireland Policing Board (NIPB) was awarded Highly Commended in the World Class Policing Awards, sponsored by Accenture. In our final article on the award-winning nominations, Keith Potter takes a closer look at the online simulator which allowed community members the chance to control police budgets, allocate resources and gain a better understanding of the funding challenges.

Analysis: Policing Insight contributor Andrew Staniforth examines how Police Scotland is tackling online child sexual exploitation during the Covid-19 lockdown alongside the wider challenges of combating the tens of thousands of websites hosting child abuse images.

INNOVATION: The world of forensics suffers from fragmentation, skills shortages, an unstable marketplace and lack of investment and accreditation. But NPCC Forensics Lead and Dorset Chief Constable James Vaughan says police forces can make a bright future for forensics – with help from the new Forensics Capability Network (FCN).

Opinion: Chair of Bedfordshire Community Scrutiny Panel Montell Neufville shares his concerns that lockdown measures have prevented panels from scrutinising the police use of Covid-19 powers which could undermine transparency and damage community relations.

Book Review: Former Met Commander John Sutherland's latest book - Crossing the Line - is billed as a love letter to police officers and those vulnerable people they protect and serve. CoPaCC Director Bernard Rix says the book is a riveting read that should be read by everyone in the policing family.

Opinion: The lockdown and social distancing means trainers and course providers have had to find different ways to deliver their courses. Despite the challenges of moving a CPD-accredited settlement course for leavers to a virtual setting, Mightify's Tom Wheelhouse found many participants preferred this new style of delivery.

ANALYSIS: For the final article in our series on police workforce numbers in England & Wales, Ian Wiggett revisits his first article, which forecast likely officer numbers for each force in 2023, to take into account data just published by the Home Office that clarifies the calculations used to measure progress in recruiting the planned 20,000 uplift in officers.