Police forces

News insight: Collaborative working has been hailed as the way forward, but not all projects come to fruition. Syreeta Lund talks to PCC Sue Mountstevens about why her force has abandoned plans to share back office processes with two other forces.

Analysis: In 2015, the National Audit Office revealed forces were sitting on nearly £2bn in reserves sparking media outrage. Two years on and it is a very different story. Policing Insight reports on how forces are using their reserves to secure their finances and fund their futures.

OPINION: The role and future of the Special Constabulary has been much debated in recent months, and in January, @wecops hosted a debate on the topic, led by Special Constabulary Chief Officer Dale Checksfield. Here, Dale summarises that debate, and suggests some priorities for the years ahead.

ANALYSIS: Ian Wiggett, CoPaCC Director and former Greater Manchester Police ACC, reflects on the current state of police ICT, and argues that much greater collaboration on ICT between forces is urgently needed.

Analysis: The second report by Forensic Science Regulator Dr Gillian Tully has warned that a lack of funding for forensic science is “jeopardising the integrity of the criminal justice system”.

Opinion: Behind last month’s national crime figures another story is emerging: a growing shift in the nature of crime and a widening gap in policing demand. This in turn increases the urgency of decisions being made about future police funding.

opinion: PC Upile Mtitimila is a neighbourhood officer for Cheshire Police and a member of the 2016 Police Now Cohort. Here he writes about his new policing ‘family’ and how the job has matched his expectations.  

Technology: We're all familiar with the police mugshot taken of the hapless offender in the police custody suite. Over the years the quality of photographs has significantly worsened. However, forces could be missing a trick because new and emerging technology means the humble and largely neglected mugshot now has a greater part to play in combating crime.

ANALYSIS: Kate Temple-Brown, Founder and Managing Director of Apprenticeship Levy specialist Aequalis, examines the implications of the new Levy for forces ahead of its national introduction on 6th April, 2017. How well prepared is your own force?

Opinion: About 13 years ago I attended a conference on Restorative Justice hosted by Sir Charles Pollard, the former Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police. Charles was the early pioneer of Restorative Justice (RJ) in Policing.  At that time I was a Divisional Commander with the Lancashire Constabulary. 

OPINION: Earlier this month, Simon Chesterman, the National Police Chief's Council lead for armed policing, responded to Prof. Maurice Punch's article on armed police and the use of lethal force, arguing that command accountability is as robust as it can be under the current law. Here Prof. Punch - with Ralph Crawshaw and Geoffrey Markham - responds in turn, underlining the importance of accountability where tactics are highly likely to cause death.

Interview: The Police Federation of England and Wales is currently campaigning to change the legislation to ensure that police officers who engage in pursuits and response driving can have better legal protection. Jayne Willetts, the PFEW's lead on roads policing tells Policing Insight why the service needs to get behind the campaign.

Interview: Devon and Cornwall Police are taking the national lead in combating human trafficking following the Government’s autumn announcement of £8.5m to combat the problem.  Syreeta Lund talks to DCI Ben Deer about how the force is responding.

opinion: Offences against women and girls are on the increase. Katy Bourne, Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex Police explains how co-commissioning offers victims greater choice and a better outcome.

Interview: The number of women killed at the hands of their partners or ex-partners in the UK is truly shocking. Between 2009 and 2015, men killed nearly 1,000 women and girls. In two-thirds of those cases, the perpetrator knew his victim. Polly Neate, CEO of Women's Aid, tells Tina Orr Munro the service needs to do more to tackle the problem.

ANALYSIS: The third of 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 looks at PCP websites, with a focus on the London approach, plus how North Yorkshire and Avon and Somerset are dealing with cybercrime.

OPINION: In November, Prof. Maurice Punch wrote that authorised firearms officers were being left to 'carry the can' for the use of lethal force. Simon Chesterman, the National Police Chief's Council lead for armed policing, responds to Prof. Punch's article, and argues that command accountability is as robust as it can be under the current law.

analysis: Sixteen years ago, I interviewed a custody officer who, tired of waiting for the much delayed NSPIS Case Preparation and Custody IT system, worked with a supplier to develop his own version for his force. The experience summed up Police IT then and for many years to come.

interview: The sight of drug addicts huddled in the shadows or of streets littered with used syringes is hardly a vision of utopia. After 30 years as a police officer, rising through the ranks to inspector, Arfon Jones, now Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales, has plenty of first-hand experience seeing the ravages of drug use on both individuals and local communities.

OPINION: What is it like to be a Direct Entry Superintendent? Maggie Blyth offers her thoughts on what the scheme can offer, and her experiences as a new entrant to policing.

OPINION: A recent Accenture survey of 165 technology leaders within police, justice and intelligence agencies found that financial constraints, increased citizen expectations, and the need to modernise operations are driving the increasing use of digital technologies. James Slessor of Accenture unpacks the results of the survey, and outlines some of the groundbreaking directions public safety agencies are exploring.

OPINION: The news that Durham Special Constabulary is to begin rolling out new rank insignia sparked a fierce debate on social media as to whether the change was needed. Dale Checksfield, Chief Officer of Durham Special Constabulary, makes the case for Specials to be fully integrated into the police family, including training, qualifications - and rank.

OPINION: In many recent controversies involving the police, the voices of officers have been barely heard. Sandra Andrews of CoPaCC calls for urgent attention to be paid to the perspectives of police officers, particularly on issues - such as spit guards - that directly affect their physical and emotional welfare.

OPINION: Should public services focus only on 'pulling people out of the water'? In the second of two blogs, Brendan O'Brien of Bluelight Consultancy describes Asset-Based Community Development, and how it can potentially prevent people from falling in the water in the first place.