Police forces

Opinion: Cleveland Police has become the first force to buy in Sopra Steria's Predikt, a web-based police resource and demand modelling  tool. Kathryn Howe, head of public sector marketing for Sopra Steria, explains how PrediKt takes the guesswork out of predicting demand on the service.

OPINION: Police Scotland's Chief Constable, Phil Gormley, was temporarily suspended last week in more bad news for the force. Nick McKerrell of Glasgow Caledonian University looks at the institutional malaise at the heart of Police Scotland and asks if the issues of leadership and accountability are likely to be resolved.

Opinion: Unauthorised traveller encampments are a challenging issue for most areas. In a co-authored article, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson and Lead Policy Officer Ben Twomey argue that transit sites may offer a solution. 

INTERVIEW: Gary Mason talks with National Police Chiefs' Council lead Steve Barry about current and future plans for drone use, the legislative challenges to be overcome, and the problems surrounding governance

Opinion: In 2014, Staffordshire Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis first commissioned a report into incidents police attended that involved someone with a mental illness. Three years on and Staffordshire has made considerable strides in reducing the number of those suffering mental ill health in custody, but there is still much to be done.

Interview: David Lloyd, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, has been elected as the Chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC).  He tells Syreeta Lund what his plans are for the organisation.

ANALYSIS: The problem of silos between agencies in police work is well known - but what about silos within policing? A recent @wecops debate asked how silos formed and what could be done to overcome them. Former GMP ACC Ian Wiggett and Emma Williams of Canterbury Christ Church University summarise the discussion.

ANALYSIS: Previous understandings of crowds have treated their behaviour as if it is contagious. Analysing the English riots of 2011, Dr John Drury of Sussex University argues that the spread of rioting was based more on an anti-police identity and a feeling of power after a weak police response to initial unrest.

POLICING INSIGHT EXCLUSIVE: In the third of our exclusive extracts from "Police Chiefs in the UK: Politicians, HR Managers or Cops?" Dr Mark Roycroft, Senior Lecturer in Criminology at the University of East London, asks chiefs and crime commissioners for their views on the controversial issue of regionalisation, alliances and mergers.

ANALYSIS: The chief constables of Dorset Police and Devon & Cornwall Police have announced plans to explore further collaboration and closer working between the two forces including the possibility of a full merger. Ian Wiggett looks at what has changed since the failed force mergers plan of 2005

EXCLUSIVE SURVEY ANALYSIS: Many forces are just beginning to explore the potential and possibilities of police drone operations. The latest CoPaCC Thematic Report "Drones in Policing" surveyed drone use by UK police forces. Tina Orr-Munro analyses the results showing the extent of current capabilities and how they are being deployed

Opinion: Gloucestershire Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl explains the impact of his Commissioner's Fund on the most vulnerable in the community.  

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 anti-social behaviour (ASB) in London, and the difficulties in building multi-agency responses.

OPINION: The National Police Air Service was formed in 2012, serving all 43 forces in England and Wales. With recent technological advances, and in particular the advent of drones, @wecops recently held a discussion on the current state and future of air support, hosted by Chief Constable Simon Byrne. Serving officer Dan Reynolds summarises the debate.

Interview: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) recently signed a seven-year £8 million contract with MASS (part of Cohort PLC) to provide a digital forensics (DF) managed service aiming to maximise integration, collaboration and efficiency. Tina Orr-Munro speaks to Chris Johnson, MASS Head of Law Enforcement Business Development.

OPINION: Recent headlines about gender gaps at the BBC and at Google show that employees’ perceptions of fairness in the workplace matter - but how does that translate to a policing context? Mark Cooper of Greymalkin Consulting explores the organisational benefits of treating officers and staff with respect.

Analysis: Can greater oversight of the police complaints system bring about more public confidence and improve the way cases of discrimination are handled? Syreeta Lund writes.

NEW REPORT: For the last few years, UK police forces have been trialling Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones. CoPaCC's latest thematic analyses the number of drones and their usage and includes contributions from key stakeholders on their potential to enhance policing.

Opinion: The challenge for any PCC is to balance the need for reform and reorganisation of services with the expectations of the public they serve. Matthew Ellis, Police and Crime Commissioner for Staffordshire, came into office with a clear focus on modernising police processes to meet changing and more complex crimes, maintaining a strong presence in communities and ensuring value for money for the residents of Staffordshire.

ANALYSIS: Last week, the policy think tank Reform published their report on the digital future of policing, to considerable controversy. Here, serving officer Nathan Constable and Emma Williams of Canterbury Christ Church University argue the report is lacks evidence, academic rigour, coherence, and a basic understanding of what policing is, what people want from it, or how it is held to account.

Analysis: With digital crime accounting for nearly half of all crime, police officers and staff need the right skills to tackle it. As Reform publishes its latest report - Bobbies on the Net - one of its authors, Reform Researcher Emilie Sundorph, examines the changes required to make forces fit to fight digital crime.

Insight: Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, David Lloyd, is working on ambitious plans to include so-called Honour Based Abuse (HBA) in future victims’ services to be delivered via Hertfordshire’s victim care centre – Beacon. Whilst reports of these crimes are rare in Hertfordshire it is likely that there is a significant number of victims that the police and other agencies are unaware of.  All victims deserve support and there is clear determination to develop a multi-agency approach to ensure that they can get it.

ANALYSIS: The ninth in 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 HMIC's inspections, force and PCC responses, and how Panels cope with often conflicting views on how their forces are performing.

Insight: West Midlands Police have reported increases in both shootings and fatal stabbings. As the force steps up its enforcement tactics, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson and his office are playing an equally vital role in helping to combat violent crime.