Police forces

NEWS: All forces in England and Wales have received national guidance on the menopause after 44% of female officers surveyed revealed they considered quitting because of their symptoms. The move follows considerable efforts by many including the Menopause Doctor Dr Louise Newson who highlighted the importance of this issue for the service in her March 2018 interview with Policing Insight.

analysis: Cybersecurity is one of the most important cross-national issues in the EU, with essential services at risk if it fails. Policing Insight contributor Andrew Staniforth says this is why effective and coordinated responses between EU member states are necessary - before and after Brexit.

analysis: In the second of five papers on Police and Crime Panels, Dr Roy Bailey explores their structure and organisation alongside a range of challenges including the impact of high panel member turnover, poor attendance, limited training and restricted funding.

Opinion: Current and newly-retired officers will be able to gain a BSc (Hons) in Policing Studies after completing a one-year 'top-up course' at the University of East London. Director of Policing at the UEL's Centre of Professional Policing (CoPP) and former police officer Dr Sarah Jane Fox explains why it is important that, as the new degree entry scheme comes into being, 'no-one gets left behind'.

Innovation: As part of a campaign to raise awareness around vulnerability, Northumbria Police conducted a social experiment to see how many people would stop and help a man apparently suffering early onset Alzheimer's. Northumbria Police's Engagement Advisor Jemma Woolley and Ch Insp Steve Wykes speak to Policing Insight about why the force took this approach.

insight: As the largest ever haul of heroin is seized in the UK this week, Policing Insight's Keith Potter reports on Deputy Director Investigations at the National Crime Agency Matt Horne's Police Governance Summit presentation on the continuing threat of serious organised crime, hostile states and the importance of a collaborative approach to catching organised criminal groups.

ANALYSIS: The latest in our Report Watch series summarises the findings of a joint inspection by HMICFRS and HMICS into the arrangements surrounding how chief officers are selected and developed.

Opinion: CoPaCC Director Dr Steve Watts attends the National Policing Summit in Melbourne, Australia on behalf of Policing Insight and discovers that while good policing is the same the world over in protecting communities, Australia is taking an innovative approach to some familiar issues.

INNOVATION: West Yorkshire Police's imaging team has developed an innovative approach to blending 3D laser scanning with CCTV imaging that has led to a raft of convictions. Mike Skicko from Leica Geosystems, which supplied the technology, explains how the process works.

Opinion: Police recruitment methods have failed to deliver on diversity. With 20,000 new police officers about to join the service, Chartered Psychologist Dr Pete Jones, who specialises in implicit bias around recruitment selection and assessment, warns the service not to squander this 'once in a generation' opportunity to get it right.

INSIGHT: EXCLUSIVE: Kent's Chief Constable Alan Pughsley discusses his decision to issue Tasers to all police officers in the county - including, in a national first, to Special Constables, the first of whom are already undergoing training.

Comment: The number of potential trafficking and modern slavery victims reported to UK authorities last year rose by 36 per cent, according to National Crime Agency figures. Policing Insight contributor Andrew Staniforth argues that with new trends emerging we must work closely with other European agencies to tackle the problem at all points in the process: origin, transit and destination country.

Interview: As the N8 Policing Research Partnership celebrates its fifth anniversary, Director Professor Adam Crawford explains to Policing Insight the key successes of co-produced research with police officers, and outlines the challenges that lie ahead for sustaining collaborative police and academic research partnerships.

OPINION: Dissatisfaction with Police ICT is back in the news after Greater Manchester Police officers and staff voiced concerns about a major new system rolled out by the force. Former Greater Manchester Police ACC Ian Wiggett examines the challenges inherent in implementing a new police ICT system revealing that, regardless of the system, the grass isn't necessarily greener in other forces.

Analysis: Sopra Steria's Principal Consultant Benjamyn Damazer warns that Windows 7 is not fit for the demands of modern policing. Its more recent successor - Windows 10 - might meet policing requirements, but only if it is properly implemented.

New Series: In the first of five papers, Dr Roy Bailey explores how the appointments process for Police and Crime Panels has created panels that do not represent the communities they serve or ensure all candidates have the adequate knowledge and experience to fulfil their role.

OPINION: The expansion of the policing task in recent decades has seen the police become the service of first resort for many social ills. Serving officer Martin Gallagher warns this is damaging police capacity, and calls for a retrenchment of policing away from issues of social cohesion to focus instead on crime.

Analysis: Following the recent announcement that a pilot which makes section 60 stop and searches easier will be extended to a further 8,000 police officers, policing commentator Ben Twomey argues the 'three pillars' of effectiveness, disproportionality and transparency still sit at the heart of good practice.

Opinion: The MPS is the first force to be issued an Enforcement Notice under the Data Protection Act 2018 but, warns Owen Sayers, an enterprise architect, privacy and security specialist with thirty years' experience in the CJS, it is unlikely to be the last. Here he examines Enforcement Notices in detail outlining what they mean for all police forces.

ANALYSIS: When most people are preoccupied with thoughts of summer holidays, there is change afoot in the world of PCCs and fire governance. Briefly thwarted by judicial reviews, both West Mercia and Cambridgeshire PCC can now make progress but, as Catherine Levin explains, it won’t be a smooth ride for either of them.

Innovation: what3words is an app that allows users to pinpoint locations to within 3 square metres. Here, founder Chris Sheldrick talks about how police forces have been using the app to successfully find callers in areas that are typically hard to find.

INSIGHT: With the Government's announcement of 20,000 extra officers and the suggestion that offering those completing thirty years’ service the chance to stay (or come back) might ease the pressure, Tom Wheelhouse examines whether this is a viable solution and what the alternatives might be looking at the wider issues of recruitment, retention and resettlement.

INSIGHT: In July, Policing Insight broke the story that Lincolnshire Chief Constable Bill Skelly had begun judicial review proceedings against the College of Policing’s degree entry scheme for new police officers. As the scheme has taken shape, Policing Insight has published many articles from different stakeholders on the proposals. Here is a selection of those articles.

analysis: Following the failure of the European Union Strategy to eradicate human trafficking, Europol has launched a new joint task force. Policing Insight contributor Andrew Staniforth explores the challenges it faces in trying to combat one of the largest international crime industries in the world.