Technology and equipment

OPINION: New research suggests the unique nature of the COVID-19 pandemic has left policing struggling to make the most effective use of social media; crisis communications expert Amanda Coleman believes that the wide range of social media platforms could be used not just to engage the public, but to target and tackle crime.

INTERVIEW: On the eve of his departure as Chief Constable of South Wales Police, before taking up his new post as Assistant Commissioner at the Met, Matt Jukes spoke to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons about the challenges of policing the pandemic, the importance of preparation and communication, and the ‘hidden heroes’ of the policing effort.

OPINION: The American presidential election was fought against a backdrop of protest, division and unrest, with law and order and policing more politicised than at any time since the 1960s; Professor Temitope Oriola of the University of Alberta believes legislation is needed to prevent a repeat of similar politicisation in the future.

FEATURE: In the second of two articles exploring crime harm indexes, Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons looks at the rationale behind the Cambridge index, and how the approach as been adopted in other countries including Sweden and Australia.

OPINION: The coronavirus pandemic has put significant pressures on policing, which in turn have been significant catalyst for change. In this recently published white paper, former Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Sir Craig Mackey explores how UK policing can use the current appetite for radical change coupled with technological advances to improve performance.

FEATURE: With COVID-19 contributing to a court case backlog in the UK that may take years to clear, out-of-court disposals (OOCDs) could offer an alternative to court for low-level offenders, while also providing early, effective interventions; Andrew Inwards of Fujitsu outlines the company’s co-creation work with police forces to develop a fast, effective OOCD app.

INTERVIEW: In the last in the series of articles linked to the Policing in the Time of Pandemic workshops organised by the London Policing College, Policing Insight talks to former senior Met Police officer and crisis management / incident response specialist Roger Gomm – and poses four key questions on police operation and crises – ahead of his workshops on the issue later this week.

OPINION: In the wake of the killing of George Floyd in America, further deaths and injuries to members of the public following police use of force have led to major protests and campaigns for police reform around the world, including Canada; but Professor Temitope Oriola of the University of Alberta argues that achieving reform requires pressure on politicians rather than policing.

ANALYSIS: A second report published today by the Institute for Government examining the impact of COVID-19 on public services has highlighted a record backlog of criminal cases and a rapid expansion of the use of remote hearings; Nick Davies, the Institute’s programme director leading its work on public services, outlines the key findings.

INNOVATION: Drones are already part of the policing toolkit, but the introduction of new 5G networks will significantly enhance their law enforcement use – as well as potentially posing a greater criminal threat; Policing Insight contributor Andrew Staniforth looks at the latest European project to identify and address the 5G drone challenges.

OPINION: With UK probation services due to be renationalised, Steve Ainsworth, Director of Operational Safety at Northgate Public Services, looks at the lessons to be learned from privatising probation that will help shape a service once again poised for change.

OPINION: The latest @WeCops chat tackled the complex subject of stop and search, hosted by an experienced and expert team of officers and attracting contributions from a wide and varied Twitter audience; this blog, written by Sgt Kerri Monaghan, West Mercia Police’s tactical lead for stop and search and use of force, pulls together the key points from the debate.

FEATURE: A new report by Skills for Justice underlines the significant impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the mental and physical health of police and other public sector workers; but there are some positives to be taken from the response to COVID-19.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: ‘Triple A’. What automation, artificial intelligence, and augmentation really mean and their potential application to law enforcement. In this article, Adam Etches, Technical Director for Chorus, explains what they are and walks us through some practical applications.

ANALYSIS: The rise in ransomware attacks has seen cyber criminals increasingly targeting public sector organisations, where budgetary constraints have led to poor cyber security; Policing Insight contributor Andrew Staniforth looks at the preparations organisations can take to protect themselves, as well as efforts to prevent ransoms being paid by victims.

LONG READ: UK Home Secretary Priti Patel has authorised the police use of Taser 7, which manufacturers describe as the safest, most tested use of force option, intended to ‘make the bullet obsolete’; but critics argue the more powerful double-cartridge device has increased risks of injury for targets and bystanders. Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons looks at the kit and listens to the arguments around the latest conducted energy device.

FEATURE: A new report by the C19 National Foresight Group warns that the psychological impact of a coronavirus second wave could compound already high levels of police officer mental health problems and pose a challenge to sufferers and the service for the next decade, reports Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

FEATURE: In our continuing series aimed at supporting the new police degree entry recruits, Policing Insight's Academic Editor Dr Carina O'Reilly looks at how research interventions can be undermined unless we take a scientific approach right from the beginning.

INTERVIEW: In the fourth in a series of articles linked to this month’s Policing in the Time of Pandemic workshops organised by the London Policing College, Policing Insight talks to President of the College and former Met Police DAC Rod Jarman – and poses five key questions on the police-public relationship – ahead of his workshops on the issue later this week.

UCL COVID-19 SERIES: In this latest article from the UCL COVID-19 series, Graham Farrell and Emily Sheard from the University of Leeds discuss how the new legislation on mandatory face masks could inadvertently be aiding criminal behaviour.

OPINION: In the third in a series of articles linked to this month’s Policing in the Time of Pandemic workshops organised by the London Policing College, independent cyber and security consultant Graeme McGowan explains why the move of millions of employees to remote online working in response to the coronavirus could lead to a cybercrime legacy of that lasts long after any lockdown is over.

ANALYSIS: The recent Scottish Biometrics Commissioner Act was drafted in part to answer public concerns about collecting and retaining biometric samples; but the legislation, and corresponding laws in England and Wales, place Scottish samples on UK databases in a legislative and regulatory limbo, as Post-Doctoral Researcher Karen Richmond of the University of Copenhagen explains.

UCL COVID-19 SERIES: In this latest article from the UCL series, Graham Farrell from the University of Leeds and Shane D Johnson from the Dawes Centre for Future Crime at UCL discuss how a COVID-19 vaccine may trigger a crime wave on a global scale.

OPINION: The coronavirus pandemic has affected all areas of society, and in turn, all facets of policing. In the first in a series of articles linked to this month's Policing in the Time of Pandemic workshops organised by the London Policing College, former officer and current police trainer Martin Edwards shares his experiences of delivering police education in the COVID-19 era.