Personnel

FEATURE: A new report from Police Now, marking the organisation’s 10 years of graduate entry recruitment into specialist policing roles – including detectives, neighbourhood officers and economic crime roles – has highlighted the importance of improving representation from diverse backgrounds within forces as the “foundation of better results and higher performance”, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: The 24/7, independent and confidential Mental Health Crisis Line is available to everyone in policing who is experiencing a mental health crisis, including suicidal thoughts. Created by Oscar Kilo, the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS), the line has made and received more than 200 calls since it went live in July.

OPINION: Ahead of the publication later this month of his new book on the ongoing roll-out of body-worn cameras, Brandon University’s Professor Christopher J. Schneider explains how research suggests the continuing expansion of the technology is being driven by media coverage and the “new discourse of police reform” focusing on transparency and accountability, rather than evidence of its effectiveness in reducing civilian complaints and police use of force.

INTERVIEW: Following the recent first UK national conference on faith and belief in policing, Chief Constable Rachel Kearton, the NPCC Race, Religion & Belief Portfolio Lead, and the Reverend Matthew Hopley, National Police Chaplain, spoke to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons about the importance of ensuring the faiths and beliefs of police personnel are brought “into the open” so that officers and staff can live their “authentic” lives.

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.

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.

OPINION: In June 2024, Paul Anderson retired from his post as Chief Constable of Humberside Police after 34 years in the service, amid allegations of misconduct that an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation declared this month required no further action; in this article he shares his experiences of being on the “other side of the fence” in an IOPC investigation, the length of time such inquiries take, the vulnerable position of chief officers, and the media leaks and manipulation that can make such processes even more damaging.

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.

INTERVIEW: Police forces across England and Wales need central support to embed “a more consistent, nationally-led approach” to investigator wellbeing rather than the current ad-hoc activities and initiatives at a local level, as Sarah-Jayne Bray, Programme Manager for the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Recruitment, Retention and Wellbeing of Investigators portfolio, explained to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

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.

OPINION: Artificial intelligence (AI) AI is advancing rapidly, but human systems remain slow and often focused on immediate pressures; Odette Meli, former Co-ordinator of the Australian Federal Police’s Strategic Insights Centre, warns that without “leadership uplift and value-aligned governance” AI will amplify organisational weaknesses, and points to how policing in the UK, Australia and New Zealand have structured AI governance as an example of what can be done.

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.

FEATURE: In the wake of Ontario’s Building Bridges @ Blue conference, Policing Insight’s Matthew Wood explores the development of evidence-based policing across Canada, an approach that is gaining momentum but which faces significant challenges around governance, the disconnect between funding and outcomes, and the need to share outcomes.

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: In the second in a series of articles on male officer mental health in policing, accredited psychological therapist Dr Rachel Rogers explores why male police officers often delay so long before asking for help, the consequential “cuts” that can result from seeking support, the culture that further deepens those wounds, and why labels such as “sick, lame and lazy” become more than just words.

FEATURE: Crime scene investigators (CSIs) are exposed to traumatic scenes more frequently than most other policing roles, yet are often overlooked when it comes to debriefing and wellbeing intervention, according to Anglia Ruskin University’s Rebecca Jones and Varvara Belova, whose research – shared as part of last month’s Investigator Wellbeing Week of Action – highlights the urgent need for improved support around CSI mental health, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

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.