Police forces

NEW REPORT: Body-worn video has seen huge growth in UK policing with millions of pounds spent on equipment and back office systems. CoPaCC's latest thematic looks at the development of police body-worn video and provides a guide to the key opportunities and challenges in terms of the technology, implementation and use

Analysis: The Valuing Victims report by Why me? - the national charity campaigning for greater access to Restorative Justice - has revealed wide variations in PCC spending on RJ schemes. Lucy Jaffe, Director of Why me?  takes a closer look at the figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

ANALYSIS: A recent study of the police’s use of data has found that UK police forces had access to a vast amount of digital data, but lacked the technological capability to use it effectively. Alexander Babuta of the Royal United Services Institute explores the opportunities presented by big data policing technologies, and the organisational barriers that must be overcome to make effective use of them.

OPINION: Is the Scottish Police Authority too close to the Scottish government - and if so, what does this mean for holding Scottish policing to account? Independent researcher Kath Murray and former president of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents Niven Rennie examine the state of the SPA.

OPINION: The Angiolini Review examining deaths and serious incident in police custody was published this week. Police Inspector Michael Brown, author of Mental Health Cop Blog, explores the issues raised by the report.

Analysis: The launch of HMICFRS’s consultation earlier this month on the long-awaited force management statements sets out its ambition to use them as the basis for a new, risk-based form of inspection. But what will this mean for forces – and HMICFRS? Mark Cooper takes a closer look.

Opinion: Allan Fairley, MD, Accenture Police Services explores the issues surrounding the lack of joined up data in the criminal justice system. 

OPINION: ENABLE UK is a new participant action research project funded by the N8 Policing Research Partnership (N8 PRP), and run in collaboration with Keele Academic Policing Collaboration (KPAC) involving eight police forces, Police Scotland, and the College of Policing. Chief Superintendent Owen West from West Yorkshire Police and Amanda Jacks from the Football Supporters Federation explain.

ANALYSIS: Former Greater Manchester Police ACC Ian Wiggett and Gavin Hales, Associate Fellow at The Police Foundation review the impact of the pre-charge bail reforms implemented in the Policing and Crime Act in April 2017

LONG READ: The experience of terrorist attacks in the US and in Germany shows us how important it is for police and security agencies to share systems. But what can we learn from those countries that have begun the process of harmonising police ICT? In this Long Read,Hans-Jürg Käser of the Swiss Canton of Berne explores what European countries have done towards consolidating police systems and what can be learned.

INSIGHT: Oliver Gower, Deputy Director of the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit warns cybercrime is escalating, its impact on victims is significant and the time is right for forces to ready themselves to meet the threat.

INSIGHT: Civil Aviation Authority certification is a necessity for commercial drone use. Gary Mason looks into the steps towards gaining these qualifications and what the test actually involves

ANALYSIS: Following the RUSI's publication of a paper on police use of data, Former GMP Assistant Chief Constable Ian Wiggett explores its potential applications and limitations. 

INTERVIEW: Last month, Suzy Lamplugh Trust, which runs the National Stalking Helpline, secured £4.1m from the Police Transformation Fund, via the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), to carry out pioneering work with perpetrators of stalking. Tina Orr-Munro speaks to Chief Executive Rachel Griffin about how the project will work.

OPINION: Amid growing demand on policing, how can forces manage the flood of offenders arrested for viewing child abuse material? Nick Alston, Chair of Anglia Ruskin University's Policing Institute for the Eastern Region (PIER), outlines a major conference in November that seeks to find new approaches to investigations and prevention.

ANALYSIS: The latest of a monthly series in which CoPaCC's Sandra Andrews takes a look at some of the most interesting and topical issues that Police and Crime Panels across England and Wales are dealing with. This month, Sandra looks at the use of artificial intelligence, and Durham Constabulary's development of the Harm Assessment Risk Tool (HART).

Insight: West Midlands Police launched Operation Close Pass last year to combat the problem of drivers driving too close to cyclists when overtaking them. A year on, the force has seen a 20 per cent drop in cyclists killed or seriously injured, but, as Policing Insight discovered, it has resulted in other unforeseen benefits.

Opinion: Sherry Ralph, Chief Operating Officer for the Independent Custody Visiting Association (ICVA) looks at how some custody suites are failing to cater for women experiencing their period and suggests ways to overcome this.

OPINION: Why should police leaders look abroad for lessons in police oversight? Dr Brian Moss of Coventry University outlines the advantages of examining other systems and what leaders in the UK could learn.

INTERVIEW: The video-enabled justice project, awarded £11m in Police Transformation Funding, will allow people to give evidence via a network of high-tech video links in police stations and other buildings across London and the South East. Tina Orr-Munro speaks to Project lead Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne and explores the benefits of VEJ and the advantages of having a PCC at the helm of such an ambitious initiative.

Analysis: With the media reporting sharp rises in the number of abandoned 999 calls, former Assistant Chief Constable of GMP Ian Wiggett examines the causes and argues the issue is symptomatic of much wider problems in the call handling and response system.

ANALYSIS: Should the proposed BTP merger with Police Scotland be put on hold? Calls for a delay have increased since a draft HMICS report described the decision to merge the forces as 'entirely political'. Kath Murray looks at the evidence.

ANALYSIS: In the third of a series of special articles examining the progress of Police and Crime Commissioners as they assume joint governance over police and fire services in their areas, Catherine Levin reports on a process losing momentum in the face of obstacles both political and practical.

INTERVIEW: As individual forces explore the ways in which they can use drones in everyday policing, Gary Mason talks to Russell Woolford, Assistant Operations Director with the National Police Air Service (NPAS) about the role to be played by the organisation, which currently manages helicopter and fixed‑wing aircraft fleet across England and Wales