Police forces

OPINION: London’s blue light services are well placed to respond to a terror attack, according to a wide-ranging review of the capital’s resilience published earlier this week by policing expert Lord Toby Harris. Martin Hoscik of Mayorwatch examines the review, its conclusions, and criticisms from Conservative Assembly Members.

OPINION: Police officers who tutor other police officers don't always receive much formal recognition. Serving officer 'West Coast Response' lays out what could be done to recognise and reward the commitment of officers who dedicate their time and effort to coaching and training new cops.

New Report: Published today, the new thematic report from CoPaCC collates views and analysis on the implications of Brexit for policing and security. Contributors including Sir Hugh Orde, PCC Martyn Underhill and PSAEW President Gavin Thomas highlight the key areas of concern.

OPINION: What will the police forces of the future look like, and how will we get there? Sussex Chief Constable Giles York, NPCC lead for Workforce, makes the case for change in the recruitment and development of police officers, in order to build a workforce more reflective of the skills and competencies needed for the modern police service.

OPINION: Part of the role of @wecops since its inception has been to provide a way for front line officers to have an open debate about key issues - and for that to be picked up by senior leadership. Last week's debate on the National Crime Agency (NCA) offered exactly that opportunity. Emma Williams of Canterbury Christ Church University summarises the debate, hosted by Director General of the NCA Lynne Owens.

OPINION: Is the criminal justice system stuck in the 19th century? Sussex PCC Katy Bourne looks at how PCCs have made their presence felt since taking over from Police Authorities in November 2012, and explains how she is using her power and influence to give victims and witnesses access to swifter justice.

ANALYSIS: Police forces are increasingly pursuing digital transformation, and encouraging more web-based interaction between police and the public. But how secure are the websites on which those interactions are taking place? Rory Geoghegan of the Centre for Public Safety assesses the state of UK police forces' public-facing digital infrastructure.

OPINION: Academics and police are working increasingly closely - but what are the practicalities of such partnerships? How do they evolve over time? Layla Skinns explores some of the issues ahead of next week's international conference at the University of Sheffield, Working with the Police on Policing.

OPINION: Lincolnshire Police made headlines last month after PCC Marc Jones announced he would be advertising internationally for its new chief constable. Local resident and policing commentator Cate Moore sings the praises of the force and calls for an energetic moderniser to step up to the plate.

ANALYSIS: CoPaCC's Chief Executive, Bernard Rix, takes a look at the likely candidates for Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe's successor as Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service - and invites your views

NEWS: Lancashire has become the first police force to go live with a force-specific instance of CONNECT, Northgate Public Services' new software platform. The move has seen Lancashire over a million legacy cases, five million associated files and 10,000 live case files.

OPINION: The House of Commons Justice Select Committee in September published its report on restorative justice. Durham and Darlington Police and Crime Commissioner Ron Hogg welcomes the report, and outlines the way that Durham has led on the development of restorative approaches.

OPINION: CoPaCC Director, John Tizard, reflects on CoPaCC's recent "Brexit: Implications for policing and security" event supported by leading law firm Fieldfisher. Many policing stakeholders contributed to the seminar discussion, including PCCs, Deputy PCCs, OPCC staff, senior and former police officers, national policing agency and government departmental officials.

OPINION: Under the current funding model, Lincolnshire is projected to face a £6 million shortfall within the next three years - more than the entire pay bill for all of the force's PCSOs. Chief Constable Neil Rhodes outlines the urgent need for an interim solution.

BREXIT - Implications for policing: Former ACPO President Sir Hugh Orde's keynote speech to the CoPaCC "Brexit: Implications for policing and security" event on Wednesday, 14th September 2016

ANALYSIS: Ian Wiggett, CoPaCC Director and former Greater Manchester Police ACC, reflects on the learning from CoPaCC's "Brexit: Implications for policing and security" event last week, and asks PCCs and police chiefs, "What is the plan?"

BREXIT - Implications for policing: Dorset PCC Martyn Underhill delivers his keynote speech to the CoPaCC "Brexit: Implications for policing and security" event on Wednesday, 14th September 2016

ANALYSIS: Interest in heritage crime, any act which ‘harms the value of England's heritage assets and their settings to this and future generations,’ has been slowly gathering pace. Researching this marginalised area, Bethan Poyser found that understandings and perceptions of heritage crime vary greatly between place managers and the police, leading to extreme frustration for both parties.

OPINION: The use of controversial spit hoods was suspended last week in London after intervention from new Mayor Sadiq Khan. Nick Alston of Anglia Ruskin University's Policing Institute for the Eastern Region argues that not enough is known of the real risks and benefits of spit hoods, and the College of Policing needs to step up with rigorous evidence of the pros and cons.

OPINION: Laboratory reports of hepatitis C have almost doubled in three years in London, while some 59% of London's injecting drug users (classically, crack and heroin) have hepatitis C. Rory Geoghegan of the Centre for Public Safety argues that forces need to explain to the public what a spit guard is, how it works and why it is needed - and that spit guards are a no-brainer for effective policing.

NEWS: MayorWatch's Martin Hoscik reports on news of more than 4,000 Black and Minority Ethnic officers now serving in the Met Police's ranks

NEWS: A unique conference in Munich later this month - with attendance free - showcases research on social media and community policing across Europe for the first time. Lindsey Gunby of West Yorkshire for Innovation, the organisers of the conference, talks about the projects and their potential for technology to help transform community policing.

OPINION: Ch Supt Gordan Crossan, President of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents, argues that we 'underestimate at our peril' the impact on officers and staff of increased demand.

ANALYSIS: Did parliamentary scrutiny fail in the case of Police Scotland? Kath Murray argues that at least some of the difficulties that have since beset the force might be allied to the Scottish political system - here, she examines the evidence.