Police forces

analysis: Cybercriminals are turning their attentions to the healthcare industry. Medical technology and patients' records are increasingly under attack, but the Police Service of Northern Ireland's new Cyber Crime Unit is a step in the right direction to tackling this new threat, writes Policing Insight contributor Andrew Staniforth.

ANALYSIS: What's the best way of dealing with child sexual exploitation in practice? Kate Thomson, PhD researcher at Glasgow Caledonian University, offers a best practice model from her research with police and other practitioners in Scotland.

OPINION: Leslie Evans talks about the success of Scotland’s Violence Reduction Unit (SVRU) in bringing down crime rates in Scotland. She outlines why violent crime is not just a policing issue, and should be treated as 'something to be cured rather than punished.'

analysis: Leaveism - the practice of always being 'on the job' including checking emails 24/7 - is a growing habit for many. Senior Responsible Owner for the National Police Wellbeing Service Dr Ian Hesketh examines the effects of leaveism and the innovative approaches some companies have adopted to tackle it.

ANALYSIS: The latest in our Report Watch series summarises the findings of a briefing paper published by the End Violence Against Women Coalition (July 2019) which conducted research into 42 Police and Crime Plans to examine the response of Police and Crime Commissioners in England and Wales towards violence against women and girls.

INTERVIEW: Police trials of Automated Facial Recognition (AFR) may be controversial, but they have recently received support from the Home Secretary. Surveillance Camera Commissioner Tony Porter explains to Policing Insight the challenge of understanding AFR accuracy and the dangers of ‘surveillance creep’ impacting upon civil liberties.

Opinion: Many forces still rely on the 'train the trainer' approach when teaching their workforce new skills, but Me Learning's Shirley Berry argues technology has moved on and now offers creative ways to train people quickly and more effectively.

Opinion: When Managing Director of Aerospace, Defence and Security at Sopra Steria UK Vern Davis joined two South Yorkshire Police officers on patrol, he was struck by how much time is spent in the station completing paperwork, but he says officers can only remain out on the streets if they and their vehicles are equipped with the right information and communications technology.

ANALYSIS: The latest in our Report Watch series summarises the findings of 'The Poor Relation - The police and CPS response to crimes against older people' which examines the response to older people who studies have shown are more likely to fear being the victims of crime than people in other age groups.

OPINION: Lincolnshire PCC Marc Jones provides his perspective on the Government announcement this week of an additional 20,000 police recruits over the next three years.

NEWS: Policing Insight attended its first international conference in Melbourne, Australia this month. Our staff writer, a stalwart of many police conferences, found the innovative and holistic approach to familiar policing issues at the Australia & New Zealand Police Advisory Agency (ANZPAA) Police Conference 2019 a refreshing experience.

interview: This month, the Home Office launched new software to speed up online child abuse investigations and limit the number of indecent images police officers have to view. Benjamin Gancz, former Metropolitan Police detective and CEO of Qumodo, which was involved in developing the software, talks to Policing Insight about the potential impact of this new tool.

Analysis: When the National Rural Crime Network launched its report on rural domestic abuse, the Network received calls from victims whose harrowing experiences had left them feeling isolated, unprotected and abandoned. Chair of the National Rural Crime Network and Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire Julia Mulligan explores the issues surrounding this hidden crime.

Long Read: Former UK police officer and now Research Fellow at Western Sydney University Alan Beckley has analysed the findings of over 60 different studies of body-worn cameras (BWC) providing an insight into the different perspectives on their effectiveness in gathering evidence, lowering police rates of use of force and violence towards the police.

insight: The phrase “80% of what the police do has nothing to do with fighting crime” is often bandied about, but where does it come from and is it accurate? Statistic Regulator for the Office for Statistics Regulation Lewis Jack discusses the OSR's review of the value of police statistics in promoting public understanding of policing.

Interview: EXCLUSIVE: Merseyside Chief Constable Andy Cooke talks to Policing Insight about why forces need to increase their use of Stop and Search, why fighting serious and organised crime needs large scale investment and what it is that keeps him awake at night.

Analysis: The Independent Terrorism Legislation Reviewer faces increasingly complex terrorist threats, from home-grown extremists to the full scale of international terrorism. Policing Insight Contributor Andrew Staniforth looks at the history of the role and the demands the new Independent Reviewer will face, especially as they relate to policing.

ANALYSIS: The latest in our Report Watch series summarises the findings of the State of Policing report by HMCIC Sir Thomas Winsor which gives an overview of the current situation in policing in England and Wales.

Opinion: The Home Office has published its much-anticipated Frontline Review, but the service has seen many reviews many of which have resulted in little change so what's different about this one? Policing Insight's Editor Tina Orr-Munro takes a look.

Opinion: The police and MI5 are independent of each other but often collaborate closely especially on counter-terrorism. Policing Insight contributor Andrew Staniforth outlines the repercussions that MI5's recent breach of data security law will have for the police service.

Opinion: The mental health of armed Ministry of Defence police officers has deteriorated to such an extent that it 'risks catastrophic consequences' according to the Defence Federation Chairman. Eamon Keating calls on his force to urgently improve care for its frontline officers.

Advertisement feature: Police officers and staff need innovative tools to help them to tackle the increasing challenges that the role of policing brings, especially when it comes to handling and managing the ever-increasing amount of digital evidence being generated. Read more about how digital evidence management, or DEM, plays a crucial role in helping officers to identify suspects, solve investigations and fight crime.

interview: The recent threat by Extinction Rebellion to disrupt Heathrow airport with multiple drones has highlighted the risk drones pose to safety and security. Drone detection expert and Director of Saher (UK) David Fortune explains to Policing Insight how the police can mitigate the risk of rogue drone incursions.

opinion: With the Police and Crime Commissioner elections set for 2020, Dr Steve Watts draws on research and his own experience as a PCC candidate to question the democratic legitimacy of PCCs and the obstacles independent candidates face when running for office.