Police forces

OPINION: Policing Insight publisher and Bedfordshire resident, Bernard Rix, was in the audience for last week's innovative "public selection" of the next Bedfordshire Chief Constable. Here, he reflects on what he learned...

Analysis: With reports that gang violence is increasing, Dr Robert Hesketh, a lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University, examines the potential benefits of 'social mixing' in helping to divert those at risk from joining gangs .

FREE ACCESS: Policing Insight welcomes officers and staff from Police Scotland who now have FREE access to Policing Insight with the start of a new organisation wide subscription. Policing Insight is now available FREE to officers and staff in many UK forces and other police and criminal justice organisations - read on to find out how to use your FREE subscriber access.

Analysis: Continuing our series on the implications of the Data Protection Act 2018, Owen Sayers, an enterprise architect, privacy and security specialist with thirty years' experience in the CJS explains the principles of Part 3 of the Act and how they impact law enforcement.

analysis: British victims of overseas terror, already experiencing loss and horror, can return home only to be "let down" by the government. Andrew Staniforth outlines victim compensation schemes, developed in response to overseas and home terrorist attacks, and highlights the issues preventing victims from receiving proper support.

Opinion: Following an initial inspection of 14 forces as part of the PEEL Inspection process for 2018/19, HM Inspector of Constabulary Matt Parr says the cracks are starting to appear in policing. But, none of HMICFRS’ concerns are new, suggesting the cracks are already there - they are just getting wider.

Analysis: There have been nine reports and reviews of forensic science over the past decade, highlighting numerous problems. The latest House of Lord's report has described the quality and delivery of forensic provision as "inadequate". Keith Potter explores the ongoing issues facing this sector and what needs to change.

Interview: EXCLUSIVE: The former Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation Lord Carlile of Berriew QC CBE explains to Policing Insight the challenges of delivering Prevent, defining Islamophobia, preserving peace in Northern Ireland, and what to do about Shamima Begum.

opinion: Special constable numbers have dropped by a third in five years. Could Employer Supported Policing (ESP) schemes help reverse the trend? Dr Iain Britton, from the Institute for Public Safety, Crime and Justice (IPSCJ) attended the first ESP national conference hosted by Greater Manchester Police. He reflects on the event and on the potential for employer-supported models of volunteering in policing.

NEWS: National Crime Agency Director General Lynne Owens has called for an additional £650m a year to spearhead the fight against ‘chronic and corrosive’ serious and organised crime. Has the time come to ensure the NCA is sustainably funded once and for all?

Analysis: In March, 50 people were killed and a further 50 were wounded when a gunman opened fire on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. Former UK police officer and now Research Fellow at Western Sydney University Alan Beckley takes an in depth look at the impact this tragedy has had on New Zealand as it seeks to make sense of what has happened and to prevent it ever happening again.

opinion: In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Week and following the recent publication of the Police Care UK survey on the impact of trauma on officers and staff, Mark Eastwood, senior director of SAS-fit Limited and an expert with 20-years of experience treating complex mental health issues, explains how stigma remains a barrier to those seeking treatment.

INTERVIEW: HMICFRS has raised concerns that neighbourhood policing has been eroded and forces don't know how many neighbourhood police officers they have, but Surrey Police's new Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, who holds the neighbourhood policing portfolio, says that is about to change.

OPINION: With knife crime rising, the controversy over the use and benefits of stop and search takes on greater urgency. Dr Megan O'Neill of the University of Dundee and Dr Liz Aston of Edinburgh Napier University explain how stop and search was transformed in Scotland by police and academics working together.

Advertisement feature: This years’ Canterbury Centre for Police Research annual conference is about the professionalisation agenda and the challenges to achieving its’ aims in the current climate of austerity and rising demand.

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: Chief constable recruitment and retention, the legacy of austerity, measuring performance and maintaining transparency are just some of the issues to be explored at this year's Police Governance Summit 2019. BOOKING IS NOW OPEN for the Summit which takes place 3 - 4 July, 2019. Put the dates in your diary today - and book your place now!

OPINION: Increasing pressure on police has led to officers recording incidents, rather than actively preventing them. Serving officer Martin Gallagher warns that this trend is damaging to public confidence and that police need to position themselves as society's active guardians, not passive observers.

Analysis: Dr. Catriona Havard of The Open University and Dr. Martin Thirkettle of Sheffield Hallam University present their new research showing that small variations in the background colour of photo lineups can increase errors in identification of innocent suspects.

INSIGHT: Can a Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) make a difference to how fire and rescue services are run? Each of the four PFCCs set out a local business case that said yes, they could do better and save cash along the way. Policing Insight takes a look at what progress has been made in the early stages of the transition to the new governance model for fire.

ANALYSIS: As universities and police forces move forward with the planned delivery of degree apprenticeships for new recruits, one area of focus is increasingly how those students are to be assessed. Rich Honess of Canterbury Christ Church University explains why universities love essays so much and what alternatives are possible.

Opinion: Lynne Owens, Director of the National Crime Agency (NCA), outlines the challenges around policing national threats such as serious and organised crime and why she would like the FBI to be known as the 'American NCA'.

Opinion: Chris Horne, Business Architect for Sopra Steria argues the case for 'subjective, outcome-focused social measures' to even the scorecard of measuring victim satisfaction.

ANALYSIS: At the time of the 2011 London riots, many commentators and politicians blamed the rioters rather than looking for underlying causes. However, a three-year research project suggests this was mistaken. Stephen Reicher, of the University of St Andrews; Clifford Stott, of Keele University, and John Drury, of the University of Sussex, explain their findings.

Opinion: Whilst programmes treating post-traumatic stress are available to police officers, the Quarantine Method tackles issues before they impact an officers’ mental health. Al McGregor of Inner Armour, which developed the method, argues passionately that it’s time for a rethink - all officers must be trained in positive psychology.