Police forces

NEWS: The Coronavirus Act 2020 introduces sweeping powers for public services to tackle the pandemic, but has neglected to include Police and Crime Panels, whose role it is to scrutinise Police and Crime Commissioners, among the list of local authority bodies that can still meet to carry out their work. Policing Insight reports.

SPOTLIGHT ON THE WINNERS: An operation led by Dubai Police’s Anti-Narcotics Unit, which smashed an international smuggling ring and led to the United Arab Emirates’ largest drugs seizure, was awarded Highly Commended in the World Class Policing Awards, sponsored by Accenture. In the ninth of twelve articles focusing on the award-winning nominations, Keith Potter takes a closer look at this innovative and collaborative operation.

OPINION: Andy Rhodes QPM is the Chief Constable of Lancashire Constabulary, and the National Police Chiefs' Council lead for well being and staff engagement. Here, he provides his thoughts on the organisational impact of Covid-19 on policing and how leaders can make the coming weeks easier for their staff.

Job advertisement: Police Lecturer vacancies at Babcock International for their new flagship contract partnering with several Higher Education Institutes across London to deliver the new Metropolitan Police Service Policing Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF) framework.

Analysis: With UK police forces struggling to recruit and retain cyber-skilled staff, Policing Insight contributor Andrew Staniforth considers what this means for the war against cyber crime and why so many digitally skilled staff are opting for a career in the private sector.

OPINION: Policing Insight's Publisher, Bernard Rix, considers whether the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic will irrevocably damage British policing's "policing by consent" model first set out by Sir Robert Peel in 1829. Can policing emerge all the stronger for the societal challenges the virus will bring?

Analysis: The UK has a wealth of experience in contingency planning, but Covid-19 is unprecedented in terms of scale and complexity. Drawing on interviews with senior contingency planners about the response so far, Professor Clifford Stott and former Chief Superintendent Owen West outline current challenges and offer preliminary recommendations to help navigate the weeks ahead.

NEW REPORT: Emergency calls to the police have continued to rise whilst 101 calls have fallen, according to CoPaCC's latest thematic - CoPaCC Police Contact Management: Demand Analysis Report - which examines trends and performance in UK call handling and online crime reporting over the last three years.

Opinion: In the time of national emergency, it is vital the public understand what the police expect of them. Crisis Communication Consultant Amanda Coleman, who has more than twenty years experience in law enforcement communications, highlights ways to ensure the messaging is clear, consistent and regular.

Analysis: The police, public health and other public and private sector organisations are facing huge challenges as they tackle the Coronavirus, but how are they managed at a local level? CoPaCC Director Ian Wiggett examines the vital role of the UK's Local Resilience Forums in ensuring a coordinated response to an unprecedented situation.

Analysis: The latest in our Report Watch series summarises a report by Policy Exchange: Policing a Pandemic - The challenges of maintaining law and order during the Coronavirus response.

Analysis: Professor Karl Roberts is a Consultant on Health Security, Law Enforcement and Policing for the World Health Organisation. In an exclusive article for Policing Insight, he examines the different roles police may have during a pandemic and the challenges this creates alongside some suggested approaches to developing the police response.

Opinion: A new report highlights that Australia’s illicit drug use is rising. Despite policymakers’ best efforts, the country needs to be honest and open to new ideas, says Dr John Coyne, Head of Strategic Policing and Law Enforcement Program at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI).

SPOTLIGHT ON THE WINNERS: Operation Limelight, a huge multi-agency operation led by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to prevent girls and young women from becoming victims of female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage, was awarded Highly Commended in the World Class Policing Awards, sponsored by Accenture. In the eighth of twelve articles focused on the award-winning nominations, Keith Potter examines the initiative which led to the signing of a historic intelligence-sharing Proclamation of Interagency Support for investigations between UK and US Law Enforcement.

Analysis: The Coronavirus crisis will test the capacity and capability of all emergency service first responders. Policing Insight contributor Andrew Staniforth looks at the pressures facing police leaders in the coming months and how effective collaboration with the military will be vital to managing the response to Covid-19.

Analysis: The latest in our Report Watch series summarises the recent inspection by the HMICFRS on Counter Terrorism Policing and the police's contribution to the Government's Prevent Programme.

Opinion: In his second blog reflecting on his six-year tenure as Surveillance Camera Commissioner, Tony Porter gives an update on the progress of the National Surveillance Camera Strategy launched in March 2017.

Analysis: Until recently, cyber digital skills vital for police investigations were not formally recognised. The Institute of Cyber Digital Investigation Professionals (ICDIP) aims to change that. Senior Project Advisor Detective Inspector Alan Martin and Cyber Digital Career Pathways Project Team Leader Fiona Paterson explain the importance of the ICDIP in recognising the specialist knowledge, skills and professional status of those involved in cyber and digital investigations.

Analysis: With less than two months to go to the Police and Crime Commissioner elections for the English and Welsh forces, Policing Insight is launching its in-depth coverage. We'll be constantly updating our tracker so you'll be able to check out the candidates and their policies as they declare their intention to stand. Policing Insight's Publisher Bernard Rix takes a look at the field so far.

ANALYSIS : The violent language of drill music has caused controversy, with police demanding censorship and pursuing injunctions. But do we really understand how drill music is received? Dr. Paul McFarlane (pictured right) and Dr. Bennett Kleinberg (pictured left) from the Department of Security and Crime Science at University College London discuss how machine learning and scientific evidence can help the police and policymakers better understand the complexity of the lyrical content of drill music and how it's consumed.

Analysis: In a series of short blogs, Surveillance Camera Commissioner Tony Porter reflects on the last six years and what the future holds for the world of camera surveillance as his commission comes to an end.

INTERVIEW: Dr Holger Nitsch, from the Police Department of the University of Applied Sciences for Public Service in Bavaria, explains to Policing Insight the unique research and innovation collaborations between German and UK police forces to tackle the twin threats of cybercrime and terrorism.    

Analysis: Jennifer Cobbina, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University, discusses whether the recruitment of a more diverse workforce would bring an end to police brutality against black citizens in the US, or whether the answer lies in the remoulding of a more appropriate police culture.

Interview: Although Gloucestershire is a largely rural county with a lower than average violent crime rate, Gloucestershire PCC Martin Surl recently commissioned its largest ever study into violent crime. Policing Insight spoke to Chair of Safer Gloucestershire and Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Chris Brierley (pictured) to find out why and what the report revealed.