Technology and equipment

Long Read: Former UK police officer and now Research Fellow at Western Sydney University Alan Beckley has analysed the findings of over 60 different studies of body-worn cameras (BWC) providing an insight into the different perspectives on their effectiveness in gathering evidence, lowering police rates of use of force and violence towards the police.

Opinion: On the day the Home Office published the Frontline Review on officers' views, including wellbeing, at the Police Federation's headquarters, CEO of PoliceBox Simon Hall happened to be there holding a workshop on police ICT with frontline officers. Their message, he says, was clear - reduce bureaucracy by improving police ICT and wellbeing will improve too.

ANALYSIS: The latest in our Report Watch series summarises the findings of the State of Policing report by HMCIC Sir Thomas Winsor which gives an overview of the current situation in policing in England and Wales.

Opinion: The forces that have been trialling live facial recognition (LFR) technology in the UK have been closely monitored by the Information Commissioner's Office. While forces have legitimate reasons to use LFR, Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham says there are privacy and data protection issues that still need to be addressed.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: How emerging technologies are improving the efficiency and operational effectiveness of policing is set to be the key focus of The Emergency Services Show 2019, taking place in Hall 5 at the NEC, Birmingham on Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 September.

opinion: CEO of PoliceBox Simon Hall examines how adopting a 'cloud first' approach will enable the police service to fulfil ambitious goals outlined in Policing Vision 2025.

Advertisement feature: Police officers and staff need innovative tools to help them to tackle the increasing challenges that the role of policing brings, especially when it comes to handling and managing the ever-increasing amount of digital evidence being generated. Read more about how digital evidence management, or DEM, plays a crucial role in helping officers to identify suspects, solve investigations and fight crime.

OPINION: Surveillance cameras are part of the security landscape in the UK, but as the technology has been miniaturised, new types of cameras have emerged. Prof. William Webster of the University of Stirling argues that all of us need to take part in the debate as to where regulators should draw a line in the sand.

interview: The recent threat by Extinction Rebellion to disrupt Heathrow airport with multiple drones has highlighted the risk drones pose to safety and security. Drone detection expert and Director of Saher (UK) David Fortune explains to Policing Insight how the police can mitigate the risk of rogue drone incursions.

OPINION: New Zealand Police has established the world's first Evidence-Based Policing Service Centre. New Zealand Police’s Deputy Chief Executive Service Delivery Mark Evans OBE explains why it was set up and how Evidence-Based Policing is helping New Zealand 'be the safest country'.

analysis: The nature of crime is ever-changing and increasingly complex. The National Crime Agency has warned that, when it comes to innovation in policing, it is either sink or swim. Policing Insight contributor Andrew Staniforth urges the UK to look to the Netherlands as an example of innovation done well.

Advertorial: Innovation has always been a part of policing, but how do you harness it? Charlie de Rusett, co-founder of Idea Drop which provides a platform for forces to share innovative ideas, introduces the speakers at this month's Public Sector Innovation Summit 2019 who will offer tips and strategies on promoting innovation in your organisation.

ANALYSIS: The latest in our Report Watch series summarises the findings of a report by the National Appropriate Adult Network - There to Help 2 - which looks at the provision of appropriate adults for vulnerable adults who have been detained or interviewed by the police.

Opinion: Virtual courts have been heralded as a route to quicker and more effective justice, but Penelope Gibbs of Transform Justice says there is no support within policing to oversee the running of these courts.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: When Lincolnshire Police decided to transform their control room, they wanted a system that was a 'resolver of demand' rather than a conduit. Motorola Solutions' Mohammed Rafiq describes how the force's innovative approach to procurement and subsequent collaboration with Motorola helped the force achieve its aims.

OPINION: As a Founder Sponsor of the World Class Policing Awards and a long term supporter of policing in the UK and internationally, Sopra Steria are proud to be a part of celebrating all that is great in world class policing this year. Muz Janoowalla, Head of Emergency Services at Sopra Steria, shares some of his many stories demonstrating policing at its best.

Analysis: There have been nine reports and reviews of forensic science over the past decade, highlighting numerous problems. The latest House of Lord's report has described the quality and delivery of forensic provision as "inadequate". Keith Potter explores the ongoing issues facing this sector and what needs to change.

Advertisement Feature: Shape the future of public safety at Mission Critical Technologies 2019, the event addressing the global public safety market’s need to be quicker, smarter and more efficient at keeping citizens safe. In the build up to the event, Mission Critical Technologies has surveyed the top 100 public safety officers attending. Find out why they are attending and why you should too.

INSIGHT: Det Ch Supt Chris Todd is the West Midlands Police Head of Professional Standards and the NPCC Lead for Data Analytics. In this exclusive article for Policing Insight, he responds to recent press coverage suggesting that the West Midlands Police Ethics Committee had "raised the alarm" over the force's potential use of a 'predictive policing' tool.

Innovation: Lewis Westbury, a software developer for 15 years, a special constable for almost 10 and now founder and volunteer coordinator of Police Rewired, highlights several interesting pieces of research sourced in Crime Survey of England and Wales data, and the implications for developing practical tools in the fight against crime.

Opinion: Mobile data, interoperability, drones, evolving communications: just four of the key technology challenges facing policing right now. Ian Thompson, the CEO of the British Association of Public Communications Officers (BAPCO), looks at why it is so difficult to procure and implement solutions that deliver the benefits required.

Event announcement: Register your place at Innovate, a symposium of thought-leadership blended with hands-on training. A place to network with peers and learn from experts. A place to find out what’s on the horizon for police forces across Europe.

INSIGHT: The Police Foundation's recent report, Data-driven Policing and Public Value, highlights the fundamental importance of data to service delivery. Catherine Levin explores the findings of the report, including the benefits of identifying common areas of interest around data between police and fire.

Opinion: An increasing number of policing functions could easily be automated, but forces are too focused on police numbers. Former Deputy Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Paul Kennedy argues that budgets spent on recruiting more police officers should be redirected into embracing these new and emerging technologies.