Police management

OPINION: The police service is undergoing fundamental change through a combination of austerity and alterations in demand. DCC Andy Rhodes revisits transformational change in policing and introduces the parable of the boiling frog to explain what limits the capacity of forces to adapt and transform.

OPINION: The latest NFU report on rural crime showed marked variations in some crime types and between local force areas. But which interventions are working? Nick Alston, former Essex PCC and now Chair of the newly launched Policing Institute for the Eastern Region, calls for more research into what works to reduce rural - and other - crime.

OPINION: The Curtis Review on the use of targets in policing was published in December 2015, but little actual change appears to have taken place. Simon Guilfoyle revisits the debate and calls once more for the fundamental transformation of performance management in the police service.

EXCLUSIVE: New PCC for Cheshire, David Keane, blogs about his 100-day listening exercise, and why the police need to be based in the heart of the community - not in police stations.

OPINION: Police Now, the Graduate Leadership Development Programme for the police, has been controversial in some quarters. Emma Williams of Canterbury Christ Church University lays out her thoughts after spending a day with the scheme, and argues that talented serving officers also need access to high quality training.

ANALYSIS: Controversial predictive tools for offender management are increasingly being used in the US to determine sentencing. Marion Oswald (Winchester University) and Jamie Grace (Sheffield Hallam University) examine the use of algorithmic risk assessment tools, and call for an open debate in the UK about where the red lines should be.

OPINION: Dealing with the most vulnerable is a priority for the police. On 22 July, @WeCops held an online debate on early intervention, with CI Justin Srivastava (@CiSrivastava) as the guest host. Eric Halford (@DSEricHalford) summarises the debate and why early intervention matters - and how it can be done better.

ANALYSIS: With the newly elected PCCs coming to the end of their first 80 days in the job, what lessons might there be from the first set of incumbents? Dr Matthew Davies of RAND Europe outlines the findings of his report, Driving accountability from within: Key lessons for newly elected Police and Crime Commissioners.

OPINION: What does 'confidence' in policing really mean? Dr Kevin Morrell of Warwick Business School is taking a year's fellowship to explore the ramifications of 'confidence' and to open up dialogue and to develop fresh insights into public confidence in the police.

ANALYSIS: How do diversity targets affect recruitment and promotion in policing? Gareth Stubbs argues that targets have damaging unintended consequences, and are standing in for far more difficult conversations about broken relationships and a lack of community trust.

ANALYSIS: As the full ramifications of the recent Brexit vote become clear, Chief Inspector Lee Gosling explores the potential impact of a complete withdrawal from the EU on UK pan-European policing functions, outlining how each aspect of co-operation with Europe currently works, and how it will need to be unravelled or replaced.

OPINION: Much of the UK's security is dependent upon its ability to work in co-operation with partners. The recent referendum and the potential departure of the UK from the EU poses a danger to that work. Former Greater Manchester ACC Ian Wiggett unpicks the ramifications of Brexit, and warns that it will take a lot of effort by political leaders to ensure that co-operation is not damaged.

OPINION: What will the referendum mean for policing? Chief Superintendent Gavin Thomas, President of the Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales, explores the challenges and the possibilities of the unchartered waters ahead.

OPINION: How and why do serving police officers choose to leave the job they love? Naomi Bennett from Canterbury Christ Church University talks about her research into police retention, and warns that when governments and policing organisations make significant changes, those changes affect police officers on a personal level as well as a professional one.

OPINION: Lord Bew is the Chair of the Committee on Standards on Public Life to the Prime Minister. The Committee’s remit is to suggest changes to help promote and maintain the seven ‘Nolan’ principles of public life – integrity, accountability, selflessness, objectivity, openness, honesty and leadership. All public office holders, including PCCs, are expected to live up to them.

OPINION: What is the real impact of reduced police numbers? Dr Joan Donnelly of the Police Federation of England and Wales discusses the complexity of 'demand', ahead of a conference next week at Canterbury Christ Church University on Evidence Based Policing: Beyond the Randomised Control Trial.

ANALYSIS: The police service is the latest sector to launch an innovative initiative to tempt the best and brightest graduates into its ranks. But what can graduate fast-trackers bring to public services? Caoimhe Udom analyses the outcome of a recent panel discussion held by the Institute for Government.

OPINION: In the wake of a recent @wecops discussion on the role of sergeants, Emma Williams of Canterbury Christ Church University examines the nature of leadership at sergeant level in the changing social landscape of policing.

ANALYSIS: What is the role of local authorities in the fight against organised crime? Ahead of a Public Policy Exchange event on 7th June, Dr Anna Sergi of the University of Essex warns that none of our communities are immune from the threat.

OPINION: In the second of our series celebrating volunteering in policing, Dr Amie Birkhamshaw says PCCs have confounded their critics by embracing the volunteering agenda and embedding volunteers in the fabric of their planning

ANALYSIS: PCCs have only four years to establish their legacy before the next elections. Bernard Rix, editor of CoPACC, outlines the four key areas where PCCs can stamp their authority.

OPINION: Andrew Haldenby, Director of the Reform thinktank, welcomes the government's sweeping proposals for fire service reform - and warns if change doesn't happen voluntarily, the government may force it through anyway.

OPINION: Are Triage schemes doing their job in mental health emergencies? Serving police officer 'Nathan Constable' warns police forces could be heading down a dead end track with no way to turn around.

OPINION: Protecting vulnerable people is the new 'volume demand' in policing. Chief Superintendent Gavin Thomas, Vice President of the Police Superintendents' Association of England and Wales, outlines the need for a consistent approach to vulnerability.