Operational policing

NEWS: Our "quick turnaround" first look at the police and policing references in the Conservative Party's manifesto for the June 2017 General Election

ANALYSIS: Questioned at this week's Police Federation conference about spit guards, the Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott stated she was still "looking at the research, and coming to a considered view". Dr Matt Ashby, a former police officer and now lecturer in criminology at Nottingham Trent University, looks at the evidence currently available.

OPINION: Officers taking a break have been in the news lately, with both positive and negative public responses. Serving officer Chris Excell summarises a recent @WeCops discussion on the vital need for officers to be able to take a break - publicly or privately - and the underlying issues of police welfare, stress and wellbeing in general.

OPINION: Ahead of manifesto launches and the Police Federation conference this week, Policing Insight editor Carina O'Reilly (also a Labour councillor) takes a look at what we can expect from the parties on policing – and whether what they promise matters.

OPINION: How will ongoing police reforms affect the Special Constabulary? Could their future include further integration with regulars - including the use of Taser? Dr Iain Britton, Institute for Public Safety Crime and Justice, reflects on his attendance at the annual national conference of the Association of Special Constabulary Chief Officers’ (ASCCO).

Analysis: Following the UN's stinging criticism of Prevent last year, senior policing figures have hit back saying the strategy is the victim of bad press and inaccurate reporting, but are the problems with Prevent more than just a 'broken brand'? 

OPINION: Evidence-based policing has seen tremendous growth in the last few years, but has yet to reach the 'tipping point' where it becomes the norm. Chief Supt. Owen West argues that what's needed is an appetite for risk, and an investment in frontline officers.

Opinion: Former Chief Constable of Cumbria Stuart Hyde QPM explains how the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is helping to mobilise resources to address cybersecurity.  The Yorkshire and Humberside Counter Security Information Sharing Partnership (CISP) champion and Northern Powerhouse partner, aql®'s CEO Dr Adam Beaumont, has appointed Mr Hyde to promote the CISP to local organisations including business, schools, health and charities.

Analysis: With the ever-present pressures on police resources and the need for chiefs and forces to be doing as much (if not more) with less, the appeal of data analytics and predictive policing is stronger than ever.

ANALYSIS: Since the end of the Neighbourhood Policing Programme (NPP) in 2009, the work of neighbourhood teams across the country has significantly diverged. The Police Foundation are undertaking a major project to track these developments, and are looking for police officer and staff insights into what's been happening neighbourhood policing in your area.

ANALYSIS: Concerns have been raised that changes to PACE Code C could have a detrimental effect on vulnerable people in custody at a time when the police service is working to improve its treatment of those suffering mental health problems.

OPINION: The Cambridge Crime Harm Index offers a new way of measuring crime, by the damage it does rather than the volume of incidents. Supt. Dave Hill and Dr Laura Knights of the East Midlands Policing Academic Collaboration (EMPAC) report on a discussion of what the problems and prospects are for putting the Cambridge Crime Harm Index into practice.

OPINION: Evidence-based policing makes sense in theory - but what about the practice? Serving officer Nathan Constable looks at the problems in embedding new initiatives, and argues that the police service might need to slow down if it wants to speed up the effective implementation of EBP.

Interview: In the second of our new series focusing on Police and Crime Commissioners' achievements in office, West Mercia PCC John Campion discusses protecting neighbourhood policing, modernising the force and cutting the cost of running his office.

OPINION: How can football policing be made less confrontational and more family-friendly? Chief Superintendent Owen West of West Yorkshire Police reflects on the work of ‘Enable’ – a multi-stakeholder research partnership aiming to develop good practice in the safety and security challenges facing professional football in Sweden.

OPINION: Yesterday's report from the HMIC - The State of Policing in England and Wales - emphasised the lack of proper funding for mental health, and the way policing has been forced to become the service of first resort. Serving officer Nathan Constable - who has warned of this for some time - highlights the key issues around police responses to mental health crises.

ANALYSIS: The latest HMIC report, The State of Policing in England and Wales, was overshadowed by a row about the traumatic experiences suffered by uniformed officers. However, the report is an important one, addressing key issues around demand, resourcing and mental health. Carina O'Reilly, editor of Policing Insight, assesses the report.

Digital Policing Review: Vigilant Research’s first Digital Policing Review report launches on Thursday, and director Stephen Roberts argues that policing really can learn from the likes of Uber and Airbnb.

ANALYSIS: Project Nova started as a pilot model in the Norfolk and Suffolk areas, to identify military veterans at the earliest point in the criminal justice pathway, and support veterans at all stages through the criminal justice process. Dr Linda Cooper of Anglia Ruskin's Veterans and Families Unit reports back from the pilot.

ANALYSIS: Despite appearances (and headlines), the police service has been one of the public sector's success stories over the last few years, making significant cuts with less damage to services than other sectors. Emily Andrews of the Institute for Government examines the data through the IfG's new Performance Tracker - but warns there could be trouble ahead.

OPINION: Police cells are no place for people in mental health crisis, but new legal provisions due to come in will allow their detention in 'exceptional circumstances'. Serving officer Nathan Constable warns that people presenting as violent and unmanageable - the symptoms of 'excited delirium' - are the most likely to be detained, but also the most at risk from restraint.

OPINION: Direct entry is a controversial topic, and has generated a lot of debate. While few would argue that those who have joined through the scheme are dedicated and sincere, policing commentator Graham Wettone argues that nothing can replace direct experience of policing - especially at Inspector level.

Analysis: Dr Alistair Norman, lecturer in information management at Leeds University Business School, discussed the latest technological solutions around public safety communications at the recent B-APCO 2017 conference, including the drivers, barriers and trends for the future.

ANALYSIS: The policing landscape is undergoing tremendous change. Supt Dave Hill, Programme Director for the East Midlands Police Academic Collaboration (EMPAC) examines the 'VUCA' model - volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous - to help find a path for policing in the 21st century.