United Kingdom

Analysis: In a series of short blogs, Surveillance Camera Commissioner Tony Porter reflects on the last six years and what the future holds for the world of camera surveillance as his commission comes to an end.

Analysis: Across the globe homicide rates are falling, whilst in the UK they continue to rise. Professor Ian Hamilton, Professor Alex Stevens and Niamh Eastwood, Executive Director of Release, the UK centre of expertise on drugs and drugs law, discuss whether this increase is drug related or due to more complex societal factors.

Opinion: Former police officer and now The Bravest Path's Director Gareth Davies works with high profile organisations, including police forces, to help individuals 'shake off the shame' to find the courage to lead better, based on research by Dr Brené Brown. Here, using her research, he explores the role of shame in police culture and offers way to overcome it, increasing engagement, wellbeing and ultimately productivity.

SPOTLIGHT ON THE WINNERS: The Durham Community Peer Mentor Project, which recruits volunteers to mentor 'high-impact' users of the emergency services, was awarded 'highly commended' at the recent inaugural World Class Policing Awards sponsored by Accenture. In the seventh of twelve articles focusing on the award-winning nominations, Keith Potter takes a closer look at this pioneering project.

OPINION: With increased police funding providing opportunities for real change, CIPFA Chief Executive Rob Whiteman CBE argues that policing should be high on the agenda of the forthcoming royal commission on criminal justice system promised by the government.

INTERVIEW: Technology that helped former President Barack Obama secure a second term is now helping Durham Constabulary understand better what local communities really think about policing. CEO and co-founder of Elucd Michael Simon and Acting Police, Crime and Victims’ Commissioner for Durham Steve White explain the potential the technology has for policing.

OPINION: With the newly-elected government appearing to want to establish a much closer relationship with police chiefs, in particular, Policing Insight's Publisher Bernard Rix asks if Police and Crime Commissioners are in danger of becoming increasingly marginalised and largely symbolic in this re-alignment of the tripartite system?

Opinion: Despite the damage caused of the UK's failure to notify EU member states of 75,000 criminal convictions, Policing Insight contributor Andrew Staniforth argues it is critical that trust is restored and close collaboration between intelligence and law enforcement agencies continues post Brexit.

OPINION: Dr Felia Allum argues that perhaps a new approach is needed to fight organised crime – one that is less centred around the moment a crime is committed, and takes a wider view of the membership and organisational structures of the groups behind those crimes. Are there lessons to learn from how Italy tackles the mafia?

Analysis: New investment offers a huge opportunity to reshape UK policing, but there are still difficult choices to be made. In a co-authored article, Deloitte's UK Policing Lead Partner Richard Hobbs (pictured) and Strategic Adviser Tom Gash examine the emerging themes in Deloitte's 'Policing 4.0: How 20,000 officers can transform UK policing' and their implications for the service.

Innovation: The number of children missing from care in the UK is on the increase and the sole responsibility for finding them often rests with the police, but Durham Constabulary's Philomena Protocol has managed to reverse this trend and has led to a 38 per cent fall in missing children in care reports since its introduction in 2018.

Opinion: HMICFRS' report - Diverging under pressure - has revealed a service buckling under the pressure of rising and more complex demand alongside budget constraints. CoPaCC Director Bernard Rix says simply computerising policing tasks of the 1960s is not good enough, the service needs a complete redesign.