Operational policing

OPINION: In the latest in a regular series of articles from the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC), West Yorkshire Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Alison Lowe, the APCC’s Joint Lead on Transparency and Accountability, looks at the importance and implications of the recently published ‘Hillsborough Law’, and why accountability will continue to be at the heart of ongoing police reform.

INTERVIEW: Greater Manchester Police’s Chief Superintendent Phil Davies leads for the force on data strategy, as well as on data foundations for the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Data and Analytics Board; he spoke to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons about the benefits of police borrowing the “digital twin” concept widely used in industry, the need for efficient data quality and management, and how realisation around the importance of data is finally hitting home in policing.

FEATURE: A report into neighbourhood crime and anti-social behaviour is urging the Government to rebrand neighbourhood policing as a “a specialist discipline” while also exploring how to “strengthen collective efficacy, trust and social cohesion at the neighbourhood level”, amid warnings that a policing-only response to the challenges is not a long-term solution, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

OPINION: Following the strong support from Lord Justice Brian Leveson for out-of-court resolutions in his recent Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, Pavan Dhaliwal, CEO of Revolving Doors, and Emily Spurrell, Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside & Chair of the APCC, set out why the time is right for a national diversion strategy that would bring significant benefits for low-level offenders caught in the cycle of crisis and crime, for policing, and for the wider criminal justice system.

FEATURE: The Australian Institute of Criminology’s latest Cybercrime in Australia report highlights that while the prevalence of victimisation for many cybercrimes has fallen since 2023, the overall chance of becoming a victim remains high, with almost two thirds of users experiencing cybercrime in the past year; apathy around online protective behaviours, and a drop in social media use meaning password aren’t updated, are also leaving users at risk, reports Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

OPINION: The New Zealand Parliament is currently considering a bill which could criminalise public protests that take place too close to people’s homes or private residences; but Professor Kris Gledhill of Auckland University of Technology argues that not only is the proposed legislation unnecessary given the laws already in place, but will be difficult for police to enforce, and unlikely to be upheld by the courts.

FEATURE: With serious and organised crime recognised by Europol as one of the greatest security threats currently facing the EU, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the latest funding opportunities for police forces across the continent including the UK, as well as New Zealand and Canada, to develop projects seeking to improve the intelligence picture and the “enhanced prevention, detection and deterrence” of organised crime.

FEATURE: Victims of violence against women and girls who may be susceptible to repeat attacks are being given cans of chemically marked forensic spray as a deterrent against potential attackers; an evaluation of the scheme found that the approach helps to build trust and confidence in policing, speed up court processes, and helps to reduce investigator workloads, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: With the ever-increasing demand for cocaine in Europe, and the relative success of enforcement efforts on the more direct Latin America to Europe drug trafficking routes, a new report from the Global Initiative against Transnational Organised Crime highlights the growing involvement of Balkans drug gangs (particularly from Albania and Montenegro) in West Africa as “a critical logistical, storage and redistribution hub” for cocaine shipments into Europe, as Policing Insight’s Chris Allen reports.

FEATURE: A new report from the National Police Chiefs’ Council on the progress made by forces in England and Wales into responding to and investigating stalking has found that many forces have made significant improvements since launching new actions plans last year, but warns that financial constraints, inexperienced staff and the growing use of technology in stalking are all presenting major challenges for policing, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

OPINION: New bail laws introduced in Victoria this summer aim to tackle repeat high-harm offending with a new ‘high-harm test’ and tougher rules on offences committed while on bail; but Kavitha Vipulananda, author, speaker and reform consultant, highlights Law Institute of Victoria concerns around disproportionality stemming from the new legislation, and urges the state Government to focus more on wraparound services and rehabilitation or risk repeating past failures.

FEATURE: HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland Craig Naylor has warned that the ongoing reform of Police Scotland should not reduce the force’s capability, and has called for Scotland to introduce a similar proceeds of crime asset recovery scheme to that which exists in England and Wales, to provide additional funding for the force – particularly in the fight against organised crime – as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

OPINION: A judgment delivered this week by the Supreme Court of New South Wales, which found that a strip search carried out by New South Wales Police of festival goer Raya Meredith (the lead plaintiff in a class action) was unlawful, could have significant implications for the way police across Australia carry out strip searches, says UNSW Associate Professor and Senior Law Lecturer, Dr Vicki Sentas.

FEATURE: A report from the Centre for Women’s justice is warning that UK victims and survivors of coercive control are being failed by a criminal justice system that “compounds the damage already caused” and “effectively extends the perpetrator’s abuse”; the report also calls for a statutory defence similar to that provided for human trafficking victims under the Modern Slavery Act 2015, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

OPINION: With officers in the UK often placed in an untenable position by activists and others weaponising the complaints process in relation to a wide range of operational decisions – including the investigation of online posts – former West Midlands Sergeant Phil Cleary, co-founder of SmartWater and now a published novelist, argues that it’s time for Parliament to act to narrow the scope of referable complaints to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, enabling officers to return to exercising discretion.

FEATURE: The recent arrest in Qatar of one of Canada’s most wanted fugitives highlighted the value of the INTERPOL Red Notice system; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth explores how Red Notices work, the level of co-operation required from law enforcement agencies in different international jurisdictions, and why police and border staff need to keep up to date with the active Red Notices.

INNOVATION: Waterloo Regional Police Service has become the first police force in Canada to adopt the stratified policing model, encouraging officers to change their focus to targeted crime suppression and prevention while increasing accountability at all levels and improving community engagement and multi-agency partnerships, as Deputy Chief Jen Davis told Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

FEATURE: The latest report from the Social Market Foundation into the UK’s approach to tackling serious and organised crime (SOC) urges the Government to draw up a new strategy to meet the challenge of SOC, ensure the organised crime threat receives a higher priority, and increase resources and support for the National Crime Agency which currently performs poorly in comparison with FBI counterparts because of underfunding, reports Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

FEATURE: A new study on organised crime in Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA), published by the Global Initiative against Transnational Organised Crime, highlights the region’s growing role as a major hub, source and transit zone for the trafficking of drugs, minerals, people and wildlife products, to markets stretching from Europe to Australia as well as within ESA itself, as Policing Insight’s Dr Chris Allen reports.

FEATURE: The latest review of Queensland Police Service watch-houses – buildings designed to offer temporary accommodation for prisoners before transfer to prison or court – has highlighted increased stress and injury for staff due to poor working conditions, and facilities in widespread disrepair leading to damaging impacts on the health and wellbeing of detainees, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: A new report suggests that tackling violence as a public health issue, and developing preventative, health-based interventions for children and young people, can save significant long-term funds across criminal justice, health, and education, and help to break cycles of crime and harm, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

ANALYSIS: The recent ‘Unite The Kingdom’ march in central London – the largest demonstration in the city organised by right-wing groups, and the biggest protest in the capital for nearly two years – led to 24 arrests on the day (others are likely to follow), 26 officers injured, and violent confrontations with counter-protestors; Policing Insight’s Graham Wettone, a former Metropolitan Police officer and public order specialist, looks at the challenges around the policing operation, and lessons for the future.

OPINION: Increases in knife-crime offences have prompted calls for the introduction of Jack’s Law in Victoria, an approach enabling police to carry out random ‘wanding’ searches for weapons that is already in place in several Australian states including Queensland and New South Wales; but Criminology Senior Lecturer Dr Joel McGregor of Swinburne University of Technology argues that research suggests the approach has little benefit, and that addressing prevention and support would be more effective.

FEATURE: The recent completion of the two-year EU PRECRISIS project has culminated in the publication of a series of operational briefings designed to “inform and add value” to all stakeholders engaged in delivering safety and security at public spaces, including law enforcement, other first responders, local authorities and urban developers, as well as private-sector partners, as Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth reports.