Crime

OPINION: Policing stands at a pivotal moment in tackling domestic abuse, demanding better alignment, data, culture and technology to protect victims, prevent harm, and drive a smarter, evidence-led systemwide response. Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe, National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Domestic Abuse, and Deputy Assistant Commissioner Helen Millichap, the National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection (NCVPP) Director, introduce the Policing Insight thematic report, ‘Evolving police responses to domestic abuse’.

FEATURE: As law enforcement around the world prepares to face the challenges of 2026, Editor Keith Potter looks back over the key issues Policing Insight covered in 2025 – from structural reform and the approaches to ongoing and evolving crime threats, to workforce wellbeing, the opportunities from artificial intelligence and new technology, and leadership insights – and how these may affect the next 12 months.

OPINION: Recent horrific attacks in Australia and the UK have brought the threat from terrorists back firmly into the public spotlight; research by Dr Sara Fregonese of the University of Birmingham and Dr Paul Simpson of the University of Plymouth suggests that what the UK public fears and assumes about terrorism threats is quite different from reality, with perceptions from culturally diverse demographic groups showing significant variations.

FEATURE: A recent report on police performance in England and Wales, published by the Institute for Government, highlights the “ballooning volumes” of digital evidence and more administrative work being undertaken by officers, and the damaging impact on chiefs officers’ ability to set local priorities amid the continuing delays in publishing the plans for police reform, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

OPINION: With UK police forces under growing pressure to increase efficiency and productivity, Darren Nicholas, Assistant Director of Criminal Justice Services at UK social justice charity Cranstoun, looks at the potential for more effective use of out-of-court resolutions – particularly when combined with technology – to save police and criminal justice resources while improving outcomes for offenders and communities.

FEATURE: A new report from Europol’s Innovation Lab on the impact of robotics and unmanned systems on law enforcement highlights the range of new threats posed by technology such as drones and robots generating new types and patterns of crime, as well as the potential for policing to leverage such technology to respond to many of the key criminal challenges, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

OPINION: Canada’s decision to legalise cannabis in 2018 prompted concerns that the move would lead to more stoned drivers on the roads; but research by Brock University Associate Professor Michael Armstrong suggests that the longer-term changes in drug- and drink-impaired driving bore little correlation to the changes in the legal consumption of cannabis, although there was a clearer relationship between provinces catching more drug-drivers and the number of police trained in drug recognition.

FEATURE: The recent maiden public speech from the new Chief of MI6, Blaise Metreweli – the first female head of the Service – highlighted the challenges around state actors operating in the ‘grey zone’ to pose a risk to the UK’s security and stability; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the nature of those threats, including drones and cyber-attacks, and the role MI6 and policing will need to play in countering them.

INTERVIEW: Having recently taken up his new role as CEO of the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency (ANZPAA), Carl McLennan spoke to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons about the importance of sharing and collaboration at regional, national and international levels, the threats and opportunities presented by new technology, and the need to ensure that the frontline are fully engaged with new developments and innovative thinking.

FEATURE: A new report from the Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme which analyses the latest figures around child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE) in the UK highlights a 6% rise in recorded offences – although under-reporting of CSAE is still regarded as a major concern – with the growth in online platforms, the wider use of AI, and the effects of the cost-of-living crisis among a range of factors contributing to the increase, reports Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

OPINION: In the latest in a regular series of articles from the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC), Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex and APCC Joint Finance Lead, explores the funding challenges facing forces and PCCs in England and Wales following last week’s announcement of the 2026/27 core grant for policing, and highlights extra funding needed to meet government ambitions around issues such as violence against women and girls, and knife crime.

OPINION: Former New Zealand Police Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming recently pleaded guilty to possessing child exploitation and bestiality material, and an Independent Police Conduct Authority investigation shows complaints of sexual misconduct were dismissed or minimised; Dr Anna Marie Brennan, Senior Law Lecturer at the University of Waikato, argues the case highlights that misogynistic attitudes, loyalty to hierarchy and weak whistleblower protections protect those in power, and that a public inquiry into the police is essential.

FEATURE: The horrific terrorist attack on Bondi Beach this week – the worst in Australia’s history – has once again highlighted both the continuing critical threat of terrorism, and the importance of efforts to identify individuals at risk of radicalisation and violent extremism; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the role of the UK’s Prevent Programme in doing just that.

FEATURE: South Yorkshire Police’s Exercise Oak Apple is working with schools and other organisations to improve lockdown practice in response to on-premises knife crime incidents; Sergeant Simon Kirkham spoke to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons about how the programme came about, the work that has been done so far, and the potential to roll out the scheme more widely to forces across England and Wales.

INTERVIEW: New research reveals that wellbeing support for secondary investigators and analysts (SIAs) such as crime and intelligence analysts and digital forensic officers is often below the levels offered to front-line colleagues, despite their often lengthy immersion in highly distressing material; report author Dr Fazeelat Duran of the University of Birmingham is urging police leaders to recognise the risks and exposure, and has also suggested simple strategies to help SIAs, as she explained to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: In the face of rapidly evolving criminal and technological landscapes, modern policing demands innovative strategies and specialised expertise to tackle complex challenges like fraud, cybercrime, and organised crime. Ann Stevens of the Liverpool Centre for Advanced Policing Studies (LCAPS), explores how academic research and education can empower police professionals to stay ahead of emerging threats. With insights into intelligence-led approaches, crime pattern analysis, and the integration of operational practice with academia, it highlights the critical role of education in strengthening leadership and rebuilding public trust.

INNOVATION: A College of Policing evaluation of the use of enhanced video response to a range of calls coming in from the public to Avon and Somerset Police suggests that the approach could lead to significant improvements in response times, investigative standards, and overall case duration, as well as greater victim satisfaction and reduced stress and workloads for many officers taking part, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

OPINION: With police forces facing crime challenges at national and international levels, the 43-force structure across England and Wales can present a barrier to speedy and effective interventions; NTT DATA UK&I Executive Head of Public Safety and Justice Ian Rimington, Senior Director Brian Cliff, and Director Keith Ward, argue that closer digital collaboration between neighbouring forces would preserve local independence while giving officers the speed, clarity and unity of purpose to face crime that moves without borders.

INNOVATION: An award-winning pilot project launched by the Norwegian Police Service utilises artificial intelligence (AI), assisted reality and automated processes to help crime scene investigators enhance the quality of investigations during the ‘golden hour’, improve outcomes, and reduce costs; Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons spoke to Dr Bente Skattør and Superintendent Kjeld Helland-Hansen about the AI4Interviews project.

ANALYSIS: Amid media headlines that Australia is in a ‘youth crime crisis’, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has announced an “adult time for violent crime” approach that could see children as young as 14 tried in adult courts and facing long sentences; Macquarie University Associate Professor in Criminology Dr Alex Simpson argues that the data doesn’t support such an approach, which is politicising youth violence.

FEATURE: Latest research from Cardiff University and the Stamp Out Spiking charity highlights the scale of spiking across the UK, the various methods used, and most worryingly the fact that around three-quarters of victims don’t report the crime to police; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the insights already emerging from this research, as well as other seasonal initiatives to keep the public safe during the festive season.

ANALYSIS: Fraud is now the most common form of crime across the world, and the impact on victims can be devasting, but in many countries it remains a low policing priority; recent research by Dr Rasha Kassem, who leads Aston University’s Fraud Research Group, and Professor Umut Turksen of the University of Exeter, highlights that structural reforms and extra funding alone are unlikely to shift the balance to improve the response to fraud, unless policing can redefine value, harm and legitimacy in its daily practice.

REPORT LAUNCH: A new thematic report exploring how the issue of domestic abuse and family violence is being tackled across the world, how this has changed, and how it continues to evolve, has been launched by Policing Insight; the report examines the innovations, legal reforms and persistent challenges around the responses to domestic abuse and family violence, as agencies strive to protect victims, reduce demand and prevent further tragedy.

OPINION: While the recent Blue Lights TV drama set in Northern Ireland may have been pure fiction, former police superintendent Martin Gallagher, now an author and terrorism expert, believes that scenarios that played out in the latest series highlighted some of the key challenges facing policing today, and reinforced the need to “reconsider the figurative handcuffs” and allow officers to successfully undertake what is often “a hard, dirty and dangerous job”.