Police forces

FEATURE: In the first of two articles exploring crime harm indexes, Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons looks at the thinking behind the concept, and the latest calls for resources to be prioritised around a harm-based framework as part of the new approach to policing after the pandemic.

OPINION: Even before COVID-19, the next UK Comprehensive Spending Review was set to be a crucial moment for police funding; but as West Midlands Chief Constable Dave Thompson QPM explains, the future of policing is about much more than budgets, with greater accountability, improved public trust and a clearer understanding of local delivery among the key issues.

FEATURE: With COVID-19 contributing to a court case backlog in the UK that may take years to clear, out-of-court disposals (OOCDs) could offer an alternative to court for low-level offenders, while also providing early, effective interventions; Andrew Inwards of Fujitsu outlines the company’s co-creation work with police forces to develop a fast, effective OOCD app.

INTERVIEW: In the last in the series of articles linked to the Policing in the Time of Pandemic workshops organised by the London Policing College, Policing Insight talks to former senior Met Police officer and crisis management / incident response specialist Roger Gomm – and poses four key questions on police operation and crises – ahead of his workshops on the issue later this week.

OPINION: In the wake of the killing of George Floyd in America, further deaths and injuries to members of the public following police use of force have led to major protests and campaigns for police reform around the world, including Canada; but Professor Temitope Oriola of the University of Alberta argues that achieving reform requires pressure on politicians rather than policing.

OPINION: The growing suicide levels among police officers and emergency response staff highlight the heavy toll on mental health that these roles can take; in the first of a series of articles focusing on issues such as vulnerability, shame, and self-worth, former police leader turned development coach Gareth Davies outlines some of the key steps forces can take to enable officers to ask for help and support.

FEATURE: The social and economic conditions arising from the COVID-19 pandemic have fuelled a surge in human trafficking in many countries; Policing Insight contributor Andrew Staniforth reports on one US initiative which has brought together a range of covert intelligence and overt investigative agencies to tackle the issue – with impressive results.

ANALYSIS: Cases of sexual misconduct by police officers are still relatively rare, but such an abuse of position can have serious implications for the public’s view of policing, and the trust of the police as an institution; PhD researcher and serving police officer Fay Sweeting explores the scale of the problem, and what forces could be doing better to tackle the issue.

ANALYSIS: A second report published today by the Institute for Government examining the impact of COVID-19 on public services has highlighted a record backlog of criminal cases and a rapid expansion of the use of remote hearings; Nick Davies, the Institute’s programme director leading its work on public services, outlines the key findings.

OPINION: Not all disability or difference is obvious; for Avon and Somerset Police Inspector Lee Moore, a diagnosis of dyspraxia more than 20 years into his police service explained some of the struggles he had faced from an early age and throughout his career, but also highlighted the positives that difference can bring.

OPINION: The UN reports a 320% increase in right-wing terrorism globally in the five years prior to 2020; as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic provides a fertile breeding ground for fanaticism, Sean Spence, doctorate student in security risk management at the University of Portsmouth, explains why any current 'fifth wave' of terrorism is likely to come from the far right.

OPINION: The latest @WeCops chat tackled the complex subject of stop and search, hosted by an experienced and expert team of officers and attracting contributions from a wide and varied Twitter audience; this blog, written by Sgt Kerri Monaghan, West Mercia Police’s tactical lead for stop and search and use of force, pulls together the key points from the debate.

OPINION: With many countries taking a new approach to legalising and regulating prostitution, the Australian state of Victoria is carrying out a full review of its sex work laws; Dr Larissa Sandy, Senior Lecturer at RMIT University, believes fully decriminalising sex work is the best way forward.

ANALYSIS: The rise in ransomware attacks has seen cyber criminals increasingly targeting public sector organisations, where budgetary constraints have led to poor cyber security; Policing Insight contributor Andrew Staniforth looks at the preparations organisations can take to protect themselves, as well as efforts to prevent ransoms being paid by victims.

OPINION: The recent HM Inspectorate report into roads policing underlined the dangers of forces failing to prioritise road safety, with the number of fatalities and serious injuries on our roads starting to rise after years of decline; West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson – a former Transport Road Safety Minister – believes PCCs have a crucial role to play in reprioritising road safety.

LONG READ: UK Home Secretary Priti Patel has authorised the police use of Taser 7, which manufacturers describe as the safest, most tested use of force option, intended to ‘make the bullet obsolete’; but critics argue the more powerful double-cartridge device has increased risks of injury for targets and bystanders. Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons looks at the kit and listens to the arguments around the latest conducted energy device.

ANALYSIS: The high level of drug-related deaths in Scotland has led to unnecessary loss of life and an unenviable tally of misery; in this qualitative study, former Police Scotland Inspector David Macdonald explores the knowledge and awareness of drug harm reduction among frontline police officers in Dundee and Glasgow.

INTERVIEW: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales Police Force’s latest inclusion and diversity strategy includes a career-long focus on ‘belonging and connection’; Assistant Commissioner Leanne McCusker spoke to Policing Insight Contributing Editor Tina Orr Munro about the expanded approach, and the need for clear direction, measurable outcomes, and visible change.

INTERVIEW: In the fourth in a series of articles linked to this month’s Policing in the Time of Pandemic workshops organised by the London Policing College, Policing Insight talks to President of the College and former Met Police DAC Rod Jarman – and poses five key questions on the police-public relationship – ahead of his workshops on the issue later this week.

OPINION: Since the advent of civilian rule in Nigeria, no police unit has been as severely criticised as the Special Anti-Robbery Squad; Dr Lanre Ikuteyijo explains the unit’s origin, mandate, achievements and governance, and why the recent decision to disband the squad still falls short of what needs to be done to end bad policing in the country.

ANALYSIS: The recent Scottish Biometrics Commissioner Act was drafted in part to answer public concerns about collecting and retaining biometric samples; but the legislation, and corresponding laws in England and Wales, place Scottish samples on UK databases in a legislative and regulatory limbo, as Post-Doctoral Researcher Karen Richmond of the University of Copenhagen explains.

OPINION: The coronavirus pandemic has affected all areas of society, and all facets of policing; in the second in a series of articles linked to this month’s Policing in the Time of Pandemic workshops organised by the London Policing College, Polly Harrar, Joint Chair of the Met’s Harmful Practices Working Group and Founder of national BAME specialist charity The Sharan Project, shares her experiences of the policing response to harmful practices in the COVID-19 era.

OPINION: With the UK Government’s three-year Comprehensive Spending Review due to be announced in the next few weeks, UNISON National Officer Ben Priestley warns that an inadequate settlement could see police staffing levels fall – and the prospect of many of the additional officers promised by the Prime Minister restricted to station duties to plug the gaps.

UCL COVID-19 SERIES: In this latest article from the UCL series, Graham Farrell from the University of Leeds and Shane D Johnson from the Dawes Centre for Future Crime at UCL discuss how a COVID-19 vaccine may trigger a crime wave on a global scale.