Police forces

PCC INTERVIEW: A third of police time in Kent is spent dealing with mental health issues, a pattern replicated across the country. Kent PCC Matthew Scott is the deputy portfolio lead on mental health for the national Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC). He speaks to Syreeta Lund about some of the challenges.

ANALYSIS: It is an undeniable fact that victims of stalking are more likely to receive protection and have their allegations investigated more thoroughly, with a greater probability of a successful prosecution, in Scotland than they are elsewhere in the United Kingdom.  Why should that be?  How has Scotland’s approach been more progressive? Former President of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents Niven Rennie describes the Scottish approach

INSIGHT: HMIC becomes HMICFRS - Catherine Levin looks beyond the ungainly acronym to what this means for the newly expanded organisation and reviews reaction from police, fire and local government.

ANALYSIS: The eighth in a monthly series in which CoPaCC's Sandra Andrews takes a look at some of the most interesting and topical issues that Police and Crime Panels across England and Wales are dealing with. This month, Sandra examines the latest fractious meeting of Cheshire's Police and Crime Panel, and what ramifications the issue has for PCC governance more generally.

INTERVIEW: Oscar Kilo was launched six weeks ago as a national police wellbeing resource. Lancashire Chief Constable Andy Rhodes has led the initiative and speaks to Gary Mason about the importance of its mission to share learning and best practice from across emergency and blue light services so organisations can invest the very best into the wellbeing of their staff.

Analysis: Officers have always gathered evidence, but now that technological advances have placed digital evidence from multiple sources at the core of investigations, the challenge for forces is how to gather, store and share massive amounts of data. Is the cloud the solution?

Partner announcement: Following the publication Vigilant's Digital Policing Review Capability Assessment 2017, Stephen Roberts announces new research into issues suggested by the service, findings from which will be published on Policing Insight.

OPINION: The High Court recently issued a judgment with significant implications for the power of Police and Crime Commissioners to suspend (and potentially dismiss) Chief Constables. The Police Foundation's Director, Dr Rick Muir, considers the evidence.

OPINION: Human trafficking and modern-day slavery are international organised crimes that affect communities on a local level. Andy Staniforth, Head of West Yorkshire for Innovation, describes the work that West Yorkshire Police together with European partners, academia and other partners to find new ways to tackle these crimes.

Insight: In 2015, the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) published a report outlining the direction the service was taking in terms of digitising its investigation and intelligence capabilities. Two years on and one force is making encouraging progress. 

Analysis: The Scottish Police Authority was established four years ago to oversee the newly-formed Police Scotland, but, in that time, the authority has faced intense criticism. Former President of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents Niven Rennie takes a closer look at the problems the Authority has faced.

OPINION: Recent weeks have seen the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) mired in controversy bordering on farce. Kath Murray examines the state of the SPA and warns that it must be made properly accountable to Parliament, and its ties to government ministers weakened.

Technology: More and more UK forces are under pressure to move away from using insecure social media apps like WhatsApp towards a secure police-wide communications platform. Andy Lilly, Director and Co-Founder of Armour Communications, explores the issue.

Analysis: Following the London Olympics in 2012, the Metropolitan Police Service began to struggle to recruit and retain experienced officers in its Public Order Cadre. Birmingham University Senior Lecturer, Dr Amy Fraher has looked into the reasons why.

Analysis: There is still a lack of understanding and support around the transgender community. While newspapers feature flippant headlines about gender neutral toilets, those who are transgender have to deal with the sometimes devastating consequences of others' misunderstanding. But some police forces are at the vanguard of a more inclusive approach. Syreeta Lund writes.

Opinion: Rory Geoghegan, Head of Criminal Justice for the Centre for Social Justice, says recent unprecedented pressure on the police service could lead to more funding for the service.

Analysis: Since 2010, the police service in England and Wales has been cut by nearly 20 per cent. In a typical ‘can do’ response, chief officers recognised the need to tighten the purse strings and, on the whole, responded gamely to austerity by accepting there were efficiency savings to be had in their force areas. However, in the face of continuing cuts and uncertainty over the police funding formula, against a backdrop of successive terror attacks, the language from the top has undoubtedly changed.  Now the talk is of ‘tipping points’ and ‘cracks’ appearing in our police service.

EXCLUSIVE PCC INSIGHT: In the first of a monthly series of articles exclusively for Policing Insight, Dorset PCC Martyn Underhill sets out his thinking on the security challenges currently facing policing and the country.

Insight: The world of crime and policing is changing before our eyes – new crimes are emerging and old crimes are being committed in new ways. Richard Williamson, Executive Director, EY, explores how Greater Manchester Police are responding to new trends.

ELECTION REACTION: In the latest of our exclusive articles following the General Election, Durham PCC Ron Hogg identifies seven specific ways in which the Government's approach to policing must now change, and calls on Chief Officers, HMIC and fellow PCCs to be afforded "greater traction within the debate".

Insight: Criminals prey on the elderly. Coinciding with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Katy Bourne, Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex looks at the scale of the problem in her force area and how Operation Signature is helping to protect the elderly from fraud.

Analysis: Policing Insight launches a unique ‘tracker’ and a series of special articles examining the progress of Police and Crime Commissioners as they assume joint governance over police and fire services in their areas. In the first of the series, Catherine Levin takes a look at the runners and riders and discovers that currently 'the east has it'.

Latest update: UPDATED 12TH AUGUST 2019: A regular series of articles and this useful tracker of the PCCs’ activity and progress. This update reflects the outcomes of the judicial reviews in Cambridgeshire and West Mercia. Gloucestershire were also informed that their business case would not be reviewed before the 2020 PCC elections.

ELECTION REACTION: Another in our series of exclusive articles following the result of the General Election. Eleven years ago, Leicestershire Police had one officer for every 430 citizens - it's one officer for every 599 citizens now. Simon Cole QPM, the force's Chief Constable, looks at the substantial financial challenge facing PCCs and Chiefs.