Police forces - United Kingdom

NEWS: A new report, backed by former senior police leaders, warns policing in the UK is locked into a 'technology time warp' giving tech savvy criminals the upper hand while police forces overseas are exploiting the boom in tech start ups to their advantage.

ANALYSIS: The latest in our Report Watch series, which summarises the findings of reports that impact policing and includes responses from the main stakeholders as well as media reaction, takes a look at the Scottish Police Authority’s report, Police Scotland Digital, Data & ICT (DDICT) Outline Business Case (OBC) published on September 27.

OPINION: A lack of integration and interoperability between ICT systems coupled with outdated hardware continue to hamper Scottish police officers but, in his foreword to CoPaCC's Police ICT: User Perspectives 2018 report, President of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents Ch Supt Ivor Marshall says the recently agreed £298 million for ICT investment is an opportunity to create a system fit for purpose.

OPINION: The Government has recently announced a proposal to increase pension costs for employers throughout the public sector. In an exclusive article for Policing Insight, West Midlands PCC David Jamieson looks at how this could affect policing in his force and more widely.

ANALYSIS: The latest in our Report Watch series, which summarises the findings of reports that impact policing and includes responses from the main stakeholders as well as media reaction, takes a look at HMICFRS’ Joint Inspection of the Handling of Cases Involving Disability Hate Crime and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate, published this month (October 18).

EXCLUSIVE: Barrie Sheldon was the Deputy PCC for West Mercia for four years from 2012, during which time the West Mercia Police Alliance with Warwickshire Police was established. He stood as an Independent for PCC in 2016, where he was defeated by the Conservative candidate, John Campion. In this EXCLUSIVE article for Policing Insight, Barrie Sheldon provides his perspective on West Mercia's decision to break up the Alliance.

INSIGHT: Earlier this month, Lancashire Constabulary held a Blue Light Innovation Summit 2018 to explore the role of innovation in policing, but, in an environment of constrained budgets and mounting pressures, can the police service create the right environment to innovate?

Opinion: Earlier in the summer techUK brought together a group of senior police officers, civil servants, and tech industry leaders to explore how technology can best be harnessed to combat fraud. techUK's Henry Rex shares the group's recommendations.

INSIGHT: Published today, the "Police ICT: User Perspectives 2018" report includes articles providing a range of views on the results and what should happen next. Policing Insight's editor, Tina Orr Munro, here acknowledges that some progress on police ICT has been made since last year's survey - but widespread frustrations reveal the police service still has a very long way to go.

NEW REPORT: The results of this year's Police ICT User survey have now been published, with police officers and staff expressing deep dissatisfaction with ICT provision in their forces. They tell a story of badly specified, out-of-date equipment, slow and unreliable systems with poor integration combined with a lack of suitable training and support.

ANALYSIS: There are growing financial and operational pressures on policing. Senior figures are calling for a new vision, but as the president of the PSA said earlier this month, there is a void at the centre - and no prospect of a Royal Commission to provide answers. The service can, however, start preparing options now. The themes that come up time and again are structure, accountability frameworks, and workforce. What is the service’s own future vision for these?

Analysis: Following catastrophic bush fires in 2009 which killed 173 people, Australia implemented a mobile phone alert system so the emergency services could directly contact and advise the public during a major incident. The system has already saved lives and has now been implemented in other countries, so why not the UK?

FREE ACCESS: Policing Insight welcomes officers and staff from Police Scotland, who now have FREE access to Policing Insight with the start of a new organisation wide subscription. Policing Insight is now available FREE to officers and staff in many UK forces and in other police and criminal justice organisations - read on to find out how to use your FREE subscriber access.

ANALYSIS: Our latest Report Watch takes a look at the charity Transform Justice's report 'Love, fear and control — does the criminal justice system reduce domestic abuse?' which examines and evaluates the criminal justice system's current approach to tackling domestic abuse.

OPINION: In a report out today, the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) argues that - through an approach called Group Violence Intervention (GVI) - it is possible to change the dynamics in gangs and drive down violence. Rory Geoghegan, Head of Criminal Justice at the CSJ, sets out the background to the CSJ's latest report, and argues that failing to implement GVI will consign more young people to a lawless existence.

ANALYSIS: The latest in our Report Watch series, which summarises the findings of reports that impact policing and includes responses from the main stakeholders as well as media reaction, takes a look at HMICFRS's Understanding the difference - The initial response to hate crime, published in July.

OPINION: After two and a half years as a Chief Inspector overseeing Paisley, serving officer Martin Gallagher is moving on. Here, he describes the lessons he's learned about leading police officers in one of the busiest Sub-Divisions in the country.

FREE ACCESS: Policing Insight welcomes officers and staff from Essex Police, who now have FREE access to Policing Insight with the start of a new organisation wide subscription. Policing Insight is now available FREE to officers and staff in many UK forces and in other police and criminal justice organisations - read on to find out how to use your FREE subscriber access.

ANALYSIS: With the on-going debate on the legal status of cannabis, Charlie Lloyd, Geoff Page and Sharon Grace from York University discuss the results of their research in North Yorkshire looking at the day-to-day policing of cannabis possession and analysis of the data on drug possession offences. The research raises important questions about how police forces in England and Wales should deal with this common but to some, trivial, offence.

INTERVIEW: The National Apprenticeship Scheme is an alternative route for young people to progress into a rewarding career. For 18 year old Rebecca Suddaby, a one year administration apprenticeship at the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Humberside has led to her gaining valuable experience to achieve her dream of becoming a police officer. We speak with Rebecca to hear her story….

Opinion: With twenty-five years policing experience under his belt, Devon and Cornwall Chief Inspector Stephen Lenney takes a closer look at frontline policing and the pressures it faces and asks whether it is time for a complete rethink on policing and its processes.

OPINION: The second of a new series of articles providing a platform for police and crime commissioners (PCCs) to look back on the first half of their current term, highlighting their achievements so far and ambitions for the remainder of their term. Hardyal Dhindsa the PCC for Derbyshire gives an example of the PCC's ability to drive change through partnership.

OPINION: The first of a new series of articles providing a platform for police and crime commissioners (PCCs) to look back on the first half of their current term, highlighting their achievements so far and ambitions for the remainder of their term. We start with the thoughts of Lord Willy Bach, the PCC for Leicestershire

NEWS: John Apter, former Chair of Hampshire Police Federation, has been confirmed as the first National Chair to be voted in by police officers up and down the country.