Representative organisations - United Kingdom

FEATURE: While lockdown led to a reduction in many crimes, speeding motorists abusing the empty roads led to an increased demand for driver retraining schemes; crisis communication consultant Amanda Coleman spoke to Ruth Purdie, Chief Executive Officer of UK Road Offender Education (UKROEd), about working with forces during the pandemic, the move to online retraining courses, and how the service will be delivered moving forwards.

OPINION: The requirement for UK police recruits to either be graduates or achieve a degree as part of their training is still a subject of much debate; but University of Sunderland lecturers Dr Jerry Pearson and Adrian Smiles – both former serving officers – believe one area of the PEQF that needs to be addressed is delivering a degree qualification which recognises the skills and experience of those serving officers who are currently non-graduates.

INTERVIEW: Professor Paul Taylor, who became the UK’s first Police Chief Scientific Adviser in May, believes policing leaders recognise that science and technology will be crucial to the service going forwards; he spoke to Policing Insight Deputy Editor Sarah Gibbons about what his role will be, the importance of partnerships with education and industry, and how the National Crime Laboratory will drive evidence-based good practice in communities across the country.

OPINION: Last month Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled the UK Government’s new ‘Beating Crime Plan’ – not in parliament or at a press launch, but in a Sunday newspaper column; Policing Insight’s Ian Wiggett examines the lack of consultation, paucity of new ideas and absence of additional funding in the plan, and considers whether tone and public perception have become much more important than evidence-based actions and initiatives.

OPINION: Police canteens have largely disappeared from the police estate, and with them the opportunity to socialise, offer emotional support, and share hopes and fears; Liverpool John Moores University Lecturer Nick Kealey, and Open University Lecturer Dr Sean Bell – both former Merseyside Police officers – argue that reinstating police canteen or night-kitchen facilities could be an important step in improving mental health support and reducing stigma.

Policing Friendship Tour: Policing Insight Publisher Bernard Rix’s Policing Friendship Tour recently caught up with Police Federation of England and Wales Vice-Chair Ché Donald, for a stroll around the Surrey Downs; as they walked and talked, Ché and Bernard discussed the impact of the pandemic on policing, the relentless pressures on officers and staff, trial by media, the challenges of recruitment, retention and diversity, and the importance of addressing mental health – along with a heartwarming story of overcoming addiction.

FEATURE: As the UK continues to emerge from lockdown, a new report from the Police Federation of England and Wales reveals that 69% of police officers have experienced work-related mental health difficulties during the pandemic; Policing Insight Editor Keith Potter looks at the report – the latest in a recent series of studies to highlight the pandemic’s devastating impact on emergency services wellbeing.

ANALYSIS: The transition of forensic science provision in England and Wales from the public to private sector has led to fears over the ability of commercial markets to influence – and even distort – forensic analysis and interpretation, according to a new study; in the first of two articles, Dr Karen Richmond of the University of Copenhagen explains the background to the research, and highlights some of the key concerns of scientists including the loss of contextual information, case fragmentation, and the diminishing role of forensic practitioners.

FEATURE: Police call handling hit the headlines in the UK again this month, as chiefs warned daily 999 calls post-lockdown are at levels usually seen on New Year’s Eve, while the Prime Minister unveiled plans for league tables for 999 and 101 call answering times; growing demand, increasing complexity and public channel choice were key issues covered by CoPaCC’s Future Police Contact Management report (published earlier this year in partnership with Salesforce), with the following article from the report highlighting some of the main challenges.

INNOVATION: The need for policing to maximise the potential of the continuing digital revolution is often highlighted – but how well have UK forces ridden the wave of digital transformation so far? Policing adviser and former deputy chief constable Paul Kennedy, and policing consultant Damon Ugargol, examine the key new technologies for policing, how to overcome the challenges of legacy systems, and the opportunities offered by greater integration and interoperability.

ANALYSIS: As part of its wider work on the impact of COVID-19 on the criminal justice system, criminal justice research and consultancy organisation Crest Advisory are currently exploring whether out-of-court disposals can reduce the numbers attending court and cut reoffending rates; but as Crest’s Head of Strategy and Insight, Danny Shaw, and Analyst Delene Adams explain the first phase of the project took an unexpected turn.

OPINION: In the latest in his series of bi-monthly articles, Superintendent Simon Nelson, President of the Disabled Police Association, looks at the importance of creating a safe, supportive and inclusive environment within policing, which enables those with a disability to share their identity of living with those conditions, and ensure that forces make best use of the extensive skillsets that people have to offer.

ANALYSIS: While COVID-19 created new challenges for policing globally, many of the key issues in play before the pandemic continue to pose major questions for law enforcement; Dr Victoria Herrington, Director Knowledge at the Australian Institute for Police Management, and ACC Jackie Sebire of Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire’s Joint Protective Services Command, believe a policing future which leans into complexity and embraces an expansive role is the way forward.

ADVERTISEMENT INTERVIEW: With UK police preparing to handle rapidly growing volumes of digital, multichannel contact from the public, the benefits – both for citizens and forces – of installing integrated contact management and CRM platforms are increasingly obvious; Steve Norris, Police Market Director at Salesforce UK (a specified supplier under the recent framework) highlights the advantages of the latest contact technology in enabling forces to cope with demand and enhance the service to citizens.

POLICING FRIENDSHIP TOUR: On the latest leg of his Policing Friendship Tour, Policing Insight Publisher Bernard Rix caught up with Chris Lewis, Policy and Research Officer for Warwickshire OPCC, to talk about efforts to improve support for the victims of crime – and especially those injured or killed in road traffic collisions – as well as his work with the National Association of Retired Police Officers.

Insight: As Operation Uplift continues to attract new recruits, many candidates appear confused about the process and have ill-conceived ideas of what attributes are required to be a successful police officer; former Deputy Chief Constable Alan Baldwin explains how the service and outside agencies can help promote and hone key skills to ensure appropriate representation from diverse communities.

FEATURE: Giving victims a voice, the power of the press and politicians, and learning lessons to prevent future harm will be among the topics covered at this year’s Cumberland Lodge Police Conference; Hertfordshire PCC David Lloyd, a member of the conference steering committee, outlines some of the key issues around the themes of law enforcement and reconciliation that will be explored during the two-day online event.

INTERVIEW: As part of the process of compiling the recent CoPaCC Future Police Contact Management report produced in partnership with Salesforce, Policing Insight Editor Keith Potter spoke to PSNI ACC Alan Todd, the NPCC Lead for Contact Management, about the key issues facing policing in relation to public contact – from the increasingly complex nature of demand, to the growth of digital and expanding channel options, the continuing impact of the pandemic, and the long-term challenges and technological opportunities.

INTERVIEW: This week sees the Police Federation of England and Wales hold its annual conference online; ahead of the event, Vice-Chair Ché Donald spoke to Policing Insight’s Bernard Rix on the impact of the pandemic on policing – from the added strain on officer wellbeing and mental health, to trial by media and increasing diversity.

OPINION: The police and crime commissioner elections on 6 May saw a ‘blue wave’ of results, as Conservative successes dominated by more than three to one with 29 candidates elected, compared to only eight Labour, one Plaid-Cymru and no independents; Martyn Underhill, who stood down as independent PCC for Dorset at the last election, muses over the surprising election results and what they mean for policing.

OPINION: The Misuse of Drugs Act came into effect half a century ago, and while society, policing, and attitudes to and availability of drugs has changed significantly over those 50 years, the law has not; with billions spent on attempting to tackle an issue that has increased substantially since 1971, policing commentator and former drugs policy lead Ben Twomey believes that both an honest public debate over drugs, and a review of the Act, are long overdue.

New report: With growing volumes of increasingly complex demand, police contact management was already facing significant challenges before the arrival of COVID-19; but a new report by CoPaCC highlights how forces have responded to more varied public channel choice, adopted and developed new technology, and adapted working practices and reporting structures to meet the challenges of both the increasing demand and the pandemic.

INTERVIEW: Advances in technology and the growing demand for digital communication have led to significant changes to police contact management, but the arrival of COVID-19 presented a whole new challenge; Superintendent Aimee Ramm, the National Product Owner for policing’s digital platform Single Online Home, explains how the development team met that challenge, and the continuing evolution of online reporting and contact prompted by the pandemic.

FEATURE: The NPCC Digital Forensic Science Strategy, developed by the Transforming Forensics (TF) Programme and the Forensic Capability Network, is a blueprint for change to address pressing problems and put forward transformational but realistic solutions; TF Programme Director Richard Meffen explains the aims and issues addressed, as well as some of the key project work being undertaken – such as Legacy Data guidance and CSE Automate – to enable that transformation.