Police management

OPINION: Last week saw the inaugural police-focused Changing Times, Changing Practice event, a one-day webinar hosted by Skills for Justice to share good practice and learning, and explore how organisation development and change can help to create a diverse, trusted and modern police force. Event facilitator Toby Lindsay looks at some of the key issues discussed on the day, and the next steps.

INNOVATION: A new real-time drug analysis system, pioneered by New Zealand Police's Evidence-Based Policing Centre and the NZ Institute of Environmental Science & Research, enables officers to make better decisions in the field; NZ Police Deputy Chief Executive Mark Evans explains how Lumi Drug Scan works.

OPINION: As policing by consent and the basis of police interaction with the public are widely debated, Dr Brian Moss of the University of Southampton argues that a hardening of police tactics – such as increased used of CEDs and predictive policing – have been met largely with silence by the UK police inspectorates.

ANALYSIS: Policing Insight contributor Sarah Gibbons outlines the findings of the latest report from the Commissioner for the Retention and Use of Biometric Material, highlighting the need for stronger governance and clarity on the use of biometrics technology.

Opinion: In 2019, Dubai Police became the world's first law enforcement agency to achieve the British Standard Certification for delivering effective governance of organizational performance. Force consultant Jorge Román, and Dubai Police Major, Dr Hamdan Al Samt, explore what the standard means for both the force and the community.

ANALYSIS: The lack of interoperability between police systems wastes taxpayers’ money and reduces effectiveness, says Coeus Software CEO Simon Hall. So how can police ICT escape from the silos of legacy systems?

INTERVIEW: Peter Prater, Chair of the International Critical Control Rooms Alliance (ICCRA), chaired the inaugural global Control Room Summit in Amsterdam earlier this year. In this interview for Policing Insight, he discusses the changes he has seen in 35 years in control rooms, the potential to learn from other sectors, and the technologies he thinks will shape the future.

Insight: Policing Insight contributor Andrew Staniforth considers how the use of drones to aid police enforcement during the COVID-19 pandemic has been received by the general public both within the UK and abroad.

OPINION: At the inaugural Round Table Event of the Australian Institute of Professional Intelligence Officers (AIPIO) in June, the organisation’s President, Dr Phil Kowalick, outlined plans for transforming the intelligence workforce. His presentation is published here in full, ahead of AIPIO’s National Forum on Wednesday (19 August).

OPINION: Adrian Timberlake, Chief Technical Officer at Seven Technologies Group, explains how new technology and the improved use of data could help police to prevent and reduce knife crime.

ONLINE EVENT ADVERT: Skills for Justice invite you to join them virtually for the first interactive Organisation Development and Changing Practice event on Thursday 20th August 2020

OPINION: The nature of policing is complex and fast moving, as highlighted in the recent Police Foundation Strategic Review. Ahead of their forthcoming one-day online event on changing practice, Skills for Justice Consultant Toby Lindsay highlights the need for effective leaders to master adaptive challenges.

OPINION: UK police forces are under constant pressure to deliver more services with limited resources. IBM Services Associate Partner Luke Mundy explores how augmenting existing human resource with a digital, automated workforce could increase capacity, freeing up officers and staff to concentrate on nuanced, skilled, high-value tasks.

ANALYSIS: Last week saw the release of Australia’s long-awaited Cyber Security Strategy, and a pledge to spend A$1.67 billion over the next decade. Damien Manuel, Director of the Centre for Cyber Security Solutions at Australia's Deakin University, looks at how the funding will be used – and who will be the main winners and losers.

OPINION: The push for greater efficiency and effectiveness has seen UK police forces increasingly collaborating on areas such as procurement, finance and HR with neighbouring colleagues and public sector partners. John O'Halloran of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) highlights some of the key considerations to ensure back-office unification brings significant benefits rather than additional problems.

ANALYSIS: Launched three years ago, Merseyside Police's innovative Evidence-Based Policing (EBP) Knowledge Hub hosts around 150 pieces of research; in 2019 it staged its first event, showcasing some of the research and their practical applications. PS Andrew Fielding explores the presentations and the benefits of EBP to policing.

ANALYSIS: The speed with which coronavirus legislation was introduced, and its reach, led to calls for additional human rights-based scrutiny of the emergency powers. Solicitor Advocate John Scott QC, who chaired Scotland's independent advisory group on the issue, explains how the group was established and operated, some of the lessons learned, and how Scotland led the way.

OPINION: When it comes to the mental health and wellbeing of officers, former police leader turned development coach Gareth Davies believes there's a significant gap between discussions about the issues, and meaningful action or appreciation of their impact. The first step towards closing that gap is to create a culture where officers can have difficult conversations.

Job advertisement: Police Lecturer vacancies at Babcock International for their new flagship contract partnering with several Higher Education Institutes across London to deliver the new Metropolitan Police Service Policing Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF) framework.

ANALYSIS: In October 2018, Canada became the first G7 and G20 nation to regulate cannabis. Professor Bill Bogart of the University of Windsor discusses the recent report by Transform, the British think tank focused on the reform of drug laws, which argues that Canada’s programme to legalise and regulate cannabis has gone well.

INTERVIEW: In the second part of our interview with former CACP Executive Director Bill Moore, the veteran officer explores key issues including the role of the Chiefs’ Association, the legalisation of cannabis, and how analytics may have an important part to play in shaping the future of Canadian policing.

INTERVIEW: A week after Paddy Tipping took over as Chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, the Home Secretary announced a review of the role of PCCs. Undaunted, the former MP has welcomed the news, and believes the APCC has key role to play in promoting good practice, securing funding, and pushing for 'cultural change' on inclusion and diversity.

INTERVIEW: Having recently taken up his post as President of the Disabled Police Association, Simon Nelson talks to Policing Insight's Tina Orr Munro about the 'culture of fear' experienced by some disabled officers and staff, and why disability is still regarded as the 'Cinderella of diversity'.

Opinion: It's 15 years since the 7/7 bombings took place in London. Policing Insight Contributor Andrew Staniforth looks back at the atrocity and the immediate aftermath, and how it shaped counter-terrorism policing.