Police forces

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. 

Opinion: The police's reliance on a paid informant who was a convicted paedophile to help convict 18 people sexually exploiting young women and girls shocked many. Adrian Kingswell, a retired Senior Investigating Officer specialising in covert policing, considers whether the time has come to be more open about police use of Covert Human Intelligence Sources (CHIS).

Analysis: Body worn cameras are becoming the new normal in policing, but when it comes to attending incidents involving those with mental health problems, officers need to be aware of the challenges. Police Inspector Michael Brown, author of Mental Health Cop Blog, explores the issues. 

OPINION: What do Brexit and the transfer of British Transport Police’s functions to Scotland have in common? Kath Murray warns that there are worrying similarities between the two processes - and dangers ahead if either goes badly.

OPINION: In the last of his football policing blogs, Ch. Supt. Owen West puts recent public order theory into action. He reports on policing a medium-risk football match (Bradford City vs Blackpool) with a tiny Police Liaison Team (PLT) focused on engagement, rapport building and problem solving.

ANALYSIS: The recent trend in crime figures appears to be heading downwards, but police forces are under more pressure than ever before. Sam Langton of Manchester Metropolitan University calls for increased collaboration between forces and academia to get more realistic estimations of the demands that police face.

ANALYSIS: In the second 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 significant activity over the last two months including a PCC withdrawing from the process, publication of the highly critical Avon FRA inspection report and six PCCs surging ahead with their plans.

OPINION: Police and Crime Commissioner David Munro, the national APCC lead on Equalities, Diversity and Human Rights (EDHR) which oversees stop and search looks at how the powers are being used, amid continued concerns regarding their effectiveness.

OPINION: With over 25 million people travelling on cruise ships every year, it is surprising how little protection and support there is for passengers who are victims of crime. Sam Smith argues that the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the cruise industry need to address the poor standards of crime protection and crime management at sea.

ANALYSIS: Rural crime is often underestimated by those in urban areas, but can be devastating to those who are victims. Syreeta Lund explores the true impact of rural crime and what police are doing to try to combat its threat.

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Bedrock of policing’ is regularly used as a descriptor for neighbourhood or community policing but its current parlous state would suggest that perhaps it isn’t really as cherished as some would have us believe. Humberside PCC Keith Hunter makes the case for neighbourhood policing to regain its position in policing priorities.

OPINION: Former Greater Manchester Police ACC, Ian Wiggett gives his view on the latest developments in police and fire governance and the newly re-branded HMICFRS expanded role to take in fire.

PCC INTERVIEW: A third of police time in Kent is spent dealing with mental health issues, a pattern replicated across the country. Kent PCC Matthew Scott is the deputy portfolio lead on mental health for the national Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC). He speaks to Syreeta Lund about some of the challenges.

ANALYSIS: It is an undeniable fact that victims of stalking are more likely to receive protection and have their allegations investigated more thoroughly, with a greater probability of a successful prosecution, in Scotland than they are elsewhere in the United Kingdom.  Why should that be?  How has Scotland’s approach been more progressive? Former President of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents Niven Rennie describes the Scottish approach

INSIGHT: HMIC becomes HMICFRS - Catherine Levin looks beyond the ungainly acronym to what this means for the newly expanded organisation and reviews reaction from police, fire and local government.

ANALYSIS: The eighth 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 examines the latest fractious meeting of Cheshire's Police and Crime Panel, and what ramifications the issue has for PCC governance more generally.

INTERVIEW: Oscar Kilo was launched six weeks ago as a national police wellbeing resource. Lancashire Chief Constable Andy Rhodes has led the initiative and speaks to Gary Mason about the importance of its mission to share learning and best practice from across emergency and blue light services so organisations can invest the very best into the wellbeing of their staff.

Analysis: Officers have always gathered evidence, but now that technological advances have placed digital evidence from multiple sources at the core of investigations, the challenge for forces is how to gather, store and share massive amounts of data. Is the cloud the solution?