Police forces

Opinion: There has been a 40 per cent decline in intelligence analysts since 2010. Former GMP Assistant Chief Constable and now CoPaCC Director Ian Wiggett attended the National Intelligence Conference in Cardiff where he found local intelligence provision is coming under increasing pressure.

INNOVATION: Automatic Number Plate Recognition is already used to detect various crimes, but Birmingham University researchers have found that combining ANPR data with data on serial sex offences can generate vital new leads for investigators. Forensic Psychologist Professor Jessica Woodhams shares the findings of this award-winning* research.

OPINION: The emergence of County Lines demonstrates that criminals can operate beyond their usual geographical limits. However, police ICT struggles to do the same. Richard Helson, Customer Relationship Director at Chorus Intelligence calls for police to improve their agility by integrating better on a force-to-force basis.

ANALYSIS: Football violence hasn't gone away. But what do we know about the strategies that work to prevent and respond to it? Lucy Strang of RAND Europe reports on a new study into what works.

ANALYSIS: The latest in our Report Watch series, which summarises the findings of reports that impact policing and includes responses from the main stakeholders as well as media reaction, takes a look at a briefing written for Civitas called: Ending Short Prison Sentences - An Amnesty for Thieves and Burglars?

LONG READ: International policing missions offer a range of challenges, particularly cultural. Jan Leenslag of the Dutch National Police explains how he used ‘soft skills’ and cultural awareness to develop 'train the trainer' programmes in Afghanistan.

OPINION: Women police officers have come a long way from guarding young women's morals and caring for children. But are they still facing a greater burden than male officers? On International Women's Day, Carina O'Reilly of Anglia Ruskin University examines how far we've come.

INTERVIEW: New technology is accelerating the police service's ability to respond to the challenge of policing in a digital age, but Matthew Cooper, Global Offering Management Director at Hitachi Vantara tells Policing Insight the service should demand more from the different IT suppliers.

ANALYSIS: The latest in our Report Watch series summarises the findings of the fourth report by HMICFRS which is an update on the police response to domestic abuse (February 2019). We look at key points for policing as well as stakeholder and media reactions.

OPINION: Former Deputy Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Police and now an independent advisor on police and technology Paul Kennedy unpacks the challenges of digital evidence and asks if solution lies in greater automation through robotics.

OPINION: The prospect of a no-deal Brexit is still looming, with the risk of the police being seriously overstretched dealing with its consequences. James Treadwell of Staffordshire University and John Lamb of Birmingham City University explore how the armed forces could step in to take up some of the burden - and the risks of such a move.

Interview: Police Now's training credentials are well established, having trained hundreds of young graduates in neighbourhood policing roles since 2015. Now the Home Office is looking to the organisation to help solve the shortage of detectives, estimated to be around 5,000. Is Police Now up to the task?

ANALYSIS: Does the hierarchical nature of the police service impact negatively on officers' health and wellbeing? Rick Muir, Director of the Police Foundation, explores the findings of their latest report, Police Workforce Wellbeing and Organisational Development, which argues for a more inclusive management culture.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) are pleased to announce we will be holding a conference on PCC Fire Governance on 28th March at the National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire.

Analysis: The Data Protection Act 2018 is a game-changer in how data is handled, but has law enforcement risen to the challenge? In the first of a new series, Owen Sayers, an enterprise architect, privacy and security specialist with thirty years experience in the CJS, outlines the issues surrounding the Act and whether law enforcement is fully prepared for them.

INNOVATION: When knife crime occurs, video evidence can often hold vital clues but identifying them in amongst volumes of footage is a time-consuming job. Policing Insight contributor and Senior Research Fellow at CENTRIC Andrew Staniforth reports on a project aimed at speeding up the process.

LONG READ: The deaths of six young people from drug overdoses at music festivals in Australia in the last five months has shone a light on the risk of taking drugs at these events. Former UK police officer and now Research Fellow at Western Sydney University Alan Beckley examines the issues and considers whether pill-testing offers the solution.

OPINION: Automated facial recognition technology is now being trialled by British police forces. However, there are serious potential human rights issues associated with the use of such surveillance. Joe Purshouse of the University of East Anglia and Liz Campbell of Monash University explore the issues, and call for stronger legislation to govern the technology.

OPINION: Policing is in crisis - but what can be done to fix it? Former Chief Superintendent John Sutherland lays out a ten-point plan for what needs to happen next to rescue policing in the UK.

Interview: The Centre for Justice Innovation has published what it says is the most complete survey of point-of-arrest diversion schemes in England and Wales which are intended to tackle low level criminal behaviour. Research Officer Carmen Robin-D'Cruz brings us up to speed on the current provision in England and Wales.

Opinion: In 2015, after experiencing anxiety and depression, Police Sergeant Mark Montgomery tried to take his own life. In a brave and moving account, Mark explains what he went through and how he used his experience to develop a suicide prevention programme for the City of London Police.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Digital Evidence Management systems are now critical for today’s investigations but how can the police be sure they are investing in the right technology? Jamie Wilson discusses the need for forces to share best practice - as well as digital information - and announces the Transformational Global Policing Summit as the perfect forum to discuss and share that knowledge

Analysis: Former GMP Assistant Chief Constable and now CoPaCC Director Ian Wiggett considers the thorny subject of improving productivity in policing and suggests that part of the answer may be ‘hidden in plain sight’

INSIGHT: The public rightly expects to submit digital evidence quickly and easily to the police, but many forces do not have the technology to facilitate this, compelling officers to physically retrieve the device that captured the evidence, but what if your force covers an area of nearly 2,700 square miles?