Police management

Opinion: Sir Hugh Orde OBE QPM, former chief constable of PSNI and head of what was then the Association of Chief Police Officers explores the challenges facing Cressida Dick, the newly-appointed Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service, and the skills and attributes she brings to the role.

ANALYSIS: As the debate over spit hoods continues, Graham Hooper of Canterbury Christ Church University briefly outlines the competing claims of those in favour and against their use.

OPINION: The use of spit hoods has become steeped in controversy in recent months. For officers, they are vital protection against contagious diseases such as HIV and Hep C, but for others they are primitive and are being introduced without proper consultation. Policing Insight takes a look at both sides of the debate with Ian Pointon, chairman of Kent Police Federation and leading human rights lawyer Chris Topping presenting opposing views.

OPINION: Cressida Dick has today been appointed as the new Metropolitan Police Commissioner, replacing outgoing Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe. Chief Superintendent John Sutherland takes an insider's look at what will be waiting in the new Commissioner's in-tray.

OPINION: With the announcement today of Cressida Dick as the new Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Rory Geoghegan of the Centre for Public Safety offers an account of the four major challenges facing the new Commissioner and the Met in the years ahead.

Interview: The long-awaited introduction of a new National ANPR System (NAS), originally scheduled to be in place by April 2016, has moved a step closer this year following a successful bid to the Police Transformation Fund to establish a National ANPR Co-ordinator and Transformation Team.Keith Potter speaks to Temporary Superintendent John Dwyer of North Yorkshire Police.

Interview: The Essex Police and Crime Commissioner is leading the race to become the first Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. Catherine Levin asks Roger Hirst about the urgency, benefits and costs of taking on responsibility for Essex County Fire and Rescue Service (ECFRS)

ANALYSIS: DCC Louisa Rolfe oversees West Midlands Police's WMP2020 change programme that features 33 individual projects designed to make the force more agile when fighting crime and more accessible to the public. Here, she explains how the force's innovative collaboration with Accenture is progressing.

ANALYSIS: Her Majesty The Queen last week opened the operational nerve centre known as the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to manage cyber incidents. Michael Shuff, Marketing Lead at PA Consulting's specialist cyber security arm, 7Safe, takes a look at the NCSC's role.

OPINION: The College of Policing recently announced three future entry streams to policing, one of which was a pre-entry degree qualification. Serving officer Rich Honess outlines his suggestions as to how those degrees might be structured, based on his previous experience of teacher training.

OPINION: Research by the PSAEW into public protection units (PPUs) in police forces across England and Wales explored how cultural attitudes are creating difficulties for the recruitment, retention, morale and effectiveness of PPU. Gavin Thomas of the PSAEW argues that a change in police culture from blame to learning could help to overcome many of these difficulties.

OPINION: A recent survey of Metropolitan Police officers suggested that, while few wanted to be routinely armed, as many as three quarters of officers would like to be able to carry Tasers on duty. However, Professor Peter Squires of the University of Brighton argues that doing so could make the public less rather than more safe.

Interview: Last year, the Internet Watch Foundation marked its 20th anniversary.  Policing Insight talks to CEO Susie Hargreaves OBE about the organisation's changing role and its relationship with its police partners. 

OPINION: "Even Chief Constables and Commissioners are publicly admitting that officer morale is a problem...". Serving officer and blogger "Police Guvnor" provides an inspector's perspective on officer welfare.

NEWS: Armed police should face less suspicion and be trusted more, said Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe today in his final set-piece speech delivered at the Royal United Services Institute. Hogan-Howe, who retires later this month, also made a pointed case for the budget of the Metropolitan Police to be maintained. Here we reproduce the full text of Hogan-Howe's address.

OPINION: Increased demand and the push to professionalisation can have a human cost. Police blogger and serving officer 'Nathan Constable' says the number of officers considering leaving the job is higher than he can ever remember - but explains why he's personally decided to stay in the service.

ANALYSIS: Should policing become a 'profession'? What does that mean for serving officers and their sense of themselves as professionals? Emma Williams of Canterbury Christ Church University and Dr Ian Hesketh, Senior Advisor to the College of Policing, unpick the College's radical mission to professionalise the police service.

ANALYSIS: Why are there so few applicants for many senior police jobs? Following the publication earlier this week of College of Policing research into the issue, Gavin Hales of the Police Foundation describes his own findings on the barriers to promotion at chief officer level.

Analysis: In 2015, the National Audit Office revealed forces were sitting on nearly £2bn in reserves sparking media outrage. Two years on and it is a very different story. Policing Insight reports on how forces are using their reserves to secure their finances and fund their futures.

ANALYSIS: Headline figures from the Police Federation's recent survey of officer welfare show shocking levels of demand, overwhelming workload, and stress-related illness. Here, Mary Elliot-Davies of the Federation outlines the key findings and what comes next in the Fed's campaign for change.

ANALYSIS: Earlier this week, the Reform Think Tank published a new report examining the public-sector workforce of the future. Here, Reform's Alexander Hitchcock and Emilie Sundorph examine the implications of this report for policing.

ANALYSIS: Ian Wiggett, CoPaCC Director and former Greater Manchester Police ACC, reflects on the current state of police ICT, and argues that much greater collaboration on ICT between forces is urgently needed.

Interview: Tina Orr-Munro talks to former chief constable of British Transport Police, Andy Trotter who as police lead for communications, was closely involved with the implementation of Airwave

Opinion: For a number of years now, a growing number of critical communications experts from UK and around the world have been watching with horror as the UK Government, led by HM Treasury, Cabinet Office and Home Office, has attempted to deliver a next-generation communications network for public safety and emergency services personnel.