Operational policing

Analysis: Revolving Doors Agency, together with Barrow Cadbury Trust and Transition to Adulthood Alliance, publishes a new report Spotlight on Substance Misuse which looks at how PCCs reduce alcohol and drug addiction and reduce crime in their local areas.

OPINION: The cosmetic store Lush has suspended its 'spy cops' campaign after complaints that the displays were damaging and offensive to ordinary officers. Dr Kelly J. Stockdale of York St John University argues that the resistance to the Lush campaign shows that the police and government are still unwilling to respond to changing police priorities.

ANALYSIS: Accenture’s 2018 Technology Vision research has identified five key technology trends that have the potential to transform policing and public safety. James Slessor, Managing Director of Accenture Public Safety, explains the findings.

ANALYSIS: Body-worn video cameras (BWC) are increasingly standard issue in British police forces, with a range of potential benefits. Stuart Lister of the University of Leeds outlines findings from recent research into the use of BWCs in domestic abuse incidents - and how the benefits of BWCs may be limited by organisational constraints.

OPINION: Business Lead for Digital Policing for West Yorkshire Police Chief Inspector Ian Williams explores his force's digital transformation and what a difference the right application can make to frontline policing.

SPOTLIGHT ON: Policing Insight has over a thousand in depth articles on a wide range of policing issues. SPOTLIGHT ON is a new series which groups articles under one subject heading allowing you quick and easy reference when you need it. Here, we tackle facial recognition technology which recently hit the headlines raising questions and concerns as to its role in policing.

OPINION: Though recorded crime has fallen over the last decade, demand is rising, and policing vulnerability is the order of the day. Serving officer Martin Gallagher argues that the focus has shifted too far: police need to take a step back from these multiple demands and focus on traditional police work.

INSIGHT: Our new series, exclusive to Policing Insight, examines the impact of cyber-crime on UK policing. In the first of three articles, CEO and co-founder of Cyber Security Intelligence Alfred Rolington explores the '4th Industrial Revolution' and the factors leading to the emergence of cyber-crime.

ANALYSIS: Report Watch summarises the main findings of reports that impact on policing and includes responses from the main stakeholders as well as media reaction. Here we take a look at HMICFRS's State of Policing report which is HMCIC Sir Thomas Winsor's assessment of the current effectiveness and efficiency of policing based on the Peel Inspections carried out last year.

OPINION: Given the pressures police forces are under, Greater Manchester Police responded to the bombing of the Manchester Arena last May remarkably well. A year on, 100 officers and staff are still employed on the case. Former GMP ACC Ian Wiggett takes a closer look at the force and the fire service's response and the potential lessons learnt.

OPINION: Rural policing faces a perfect storm of under-funding and specialised demand. Richard Perkins, regional director at NICE Public Safety, argues that forces need to embrace digital solutions to address these challenges.

ANALYSIS: The proposed absorption of British Transport Police into Police Scotland appears to be steaming ahead regardless of unresolved problems, deep opposition from BTP officers, and ever-increasing reputational risks. Independent researcher Dr Kath Murray and Dr Colin Atkinson of the University of the West of Scotland explain the ongoing issues.

Opinion: Forces are increasingly turning to technology to help tackle the steep rise in online child abuse. Zoe Rooke, of Future Digital, explains how safeguarding software can be used to monitor registered sex offenders' activity to ensure they don't re-offend.

ANALYSIS: More than three quarters of shop theft and burglaries are carried out by drug-addicted offenders - but many existing sanctions like short-term prison sentences have little effect. Rory Geoghegan, Head of Criminal Justice for the Centre for Social Justice, calls for a new two-year 'Second Chance' programme in a new report, Desperate for a Fix.

Analysis: The National Speed Awareness Course is offered by nearly all police forces in England and Wales and provides eligible offending drivers with a short course of retraining as an alternative to punishment for low-level speeding offences, but does it work? Researcher Sarah Heseltine takes a look at the findings of the DfT's recent evaluation.

Opinion: According to Big Brother Watch's report on facial recognition technology, a system deployed by South Wales Police at a football match generated a  92% False Positive Rate. Founder and CEO of facial recognition company Allevate Ltd Carl Gohringer puts the record straight on how the technology works and what the figures mean.

ANALYSIS: The Scottish town of Paisley has experienced troubling increases in violent crime over the past year, prompting a robust response from the local division of Police Scotland. Martin Gallagher and Del Middleton, two of the architects of this response, provide the context and outline of this policing initiative. Dr Colin Atkinson of the University of the West of Scotland reflects upon the impact of this work for local communities and, importantly, for the police service itself.

ANALYSIS: In an age of unpredictable terrorist attacks, how can the emergency services ensure that they are fully prepared? Dr Nicola Power and Olivia Brown of Lancaster University, and Dr Laura Boulton of the University of Central Lancashire, explain how the lessons from last year's Manchester attack can be applied on the ground.

OPINION: Other European countries face football-related violence - and often respond to it in similar ways to the UK. However, ENABLE, a research project on football policing, is seeking to explore new ways of policing football fans. Ch. Supt. Owen West describes the project's latest visit to see how Swiss police deal with their 'Ultras'.

OPINION: The Metropolitan Police's use of a 'gang matrix' has sparked concern from Amnesty International, which has warned that it could be discriminatory. Daragh Murray and Professor Pete Fussey of the University of Essex explore the issue, and the wider human rights risks of using big data in policing.

ANALYSIS: Report Watch summarises the main findings of reports that impact on policing and includes responses from the main stakeholders as well as media reaction. Here we take a look at Big Brother Watch's report on facial recognition technology which it warns is being used indiscriminately and without proper oversight and regulation by some police forces.

Opinion: With Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) now increasingly used in law enforcement, Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham says there are many unanswered questions as to how it is deployed, raising concerns about the lack of transparency and governance around its use.

ANALYSIS: Report Watch summarises the main findings of reports that impact on policing and includes responses from the main stakeholders as well as media reaction. Here we take a look at Amnesty International's Trapped in the Matrix which examines the Metropolitan Police Services' Gangs Violence Matrix which it concludes is unfit for purpose.

LONG READ: International policing in a post-conflict scenario presents huge challenges. Lieutenant Colonel Jorge Manuel Lobato Barradas, a Riot and Crowd Control Unit Commander in the Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR) in Portugal, describes the difficulties of translating knowledge to the local context of East Timor.