Topical issues

ANALYSIS: With the ongoing fentanyl crisis claiming hundreds of lives ever day in North America, a new class of synthetic opioids – nitazenes – is causing real concern both in the US and more widely, including the UK, Canada and Australia; former Ottawa Police Service Chief Vernon White takes a closer look at the background to both the growth of fentanyl, the emergence of nitazenes, and the steps countries are taking to tackle the threat.

ANALYSIS: In the first in a series of four articles, Policing Insight’s Matthew Wood explores the core characteristics, shaping mechanisms, and perspectives on police culture; by examining both the positive aspects and challenges of police culture, the series aims to provide deeper insights into its impact on everyday policing, and explore pathways for meaningful reform.

FEATURE: Interpol Executive Director of Police Services Stephen Kavanagh has warned that a new international “poly-criminal age” is posing harm to millions around the world, and that while Interpol remains uniquely placed to lead the response, it will require a “global mindset” from law enforcement, government, communities and the private sector to tackle the threat, reports Policing Insight’s Keith Potter.

OPINION: In a response to an earlier article exploring the strategic direction of Police Scotland, former President of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents Prof Niven Rennie argues that financial constraint – both in policing and across the public sector – is a key factor in determining the priorities for the force, and calls for support for Chief Constable Jo Farrell’s efforts to navigate these challenges, as well as a more unified public sector approach.

INNOVATION: In the latest in a series of articles exploring the opportunities and challenges presented to police by the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI), Chief Philip Lukens explores implications of synthetic identities, how they can be adopted and exploited for criminal use, and the strategies law enforcement needs to put in place to combat them.

FEATURE: The latest snapshot report from the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission – the independent oversight body for Australia's Victoria Police – has highlighted a dramatic increase in misconduct cases, with predatory behaviour by officers, the misuse of social media, and ‘reach back’ by ex-employees exploiting previous working relationships among the key concerns, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

ANALYSIS: Despite widespread recognition of the importance of local policing in England and Wales, there is very little consistency or consensus around its delivery; a new research project by the Police Foundation will examine variations in local policing approaches, the rationale behind them, their relative strengths and weaknesses, and how different designs can meet future policing challenges, as Research Director Andy Higgins explains.

INNOVATION: Alongside legitimate and beneficial uses of the internet, the spread of digital hate speech and employing online platforms to harass, threaten, and in some instances encourage real-world violence presents a significant challenge; Police Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the latest attempts to use artificial intelligence to tackle a large and growing problem.

INTERVIEW: A new report from the UK’s National Rural Crime Network has highlighted the role of organised crime in many of the machinery thefts devastating farming communities; Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons spoke to Northumbria Police Superintendent Andy Huddlestone, head of the National Rural Crime Unit, about the need for better data sharing, more resources, and greater prioritisation by forces to tackle a growing crime trend.

OPINION: Police in Scotland were among the frontrunners on officer safety training and de-escalation techniques, prompted in part by the tragic on-duty murder of PC Lewis Fulton almost 30 years ago; but Michael Greville, a former long-serving officer who played a key role in developing the officer training programme, believes Police Scotland needs to address a significant gap between training and operational application that leaves officers and the public at risk.

OPINION: Alongside the estimated $60 billion costs to Australia and Australians of transnational serious and organised crime (TSOC), there are significant impacts on individuals and communities, political stability, and the environment; Dr John Coyne, head of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Northern Australia Strategic Policy Centre, believes the time is right for a TSOC white paper to address this multidisciplinary, complex challenge.

FEATURE: Following recent conferences in the Cayman Islands for the British Overseas Territories (BOTs) Women in Policing Network and the International Association of Women in Police Caribbean region, Victoria Wray of the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit looks at the key topics discussed and the challenges to be addressed.

INNOVATION: The surge of digital data and evidence has meant that policing is under growing pressure to maximise the opportunities offered by technology, particularly around data sharing; Naomi Bolton, Account Manager for Blue Light Services at Cloud Gateway, examines how police forces can effectively navigate the transition to cloud to enhance their operational capabilities and collaboration.

FEATURE: The Annual Report of Canada’s Edmonton Police Service has highlighted a range of measures including stronger community partnerships, diverting young people away from crime, and a clearer focus on addressing offenders’ “criminogenic risks and needs” as among the key steps to improving public confidence in the Service despite concerning trends on crime and violence, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

ANALYSIS: Despite significant decreases in crime over the past 30 years, most people in England and Wales believe crime is rising; Associate Professor Toby Davies and Professor Graham Farrell of the University of Leeds argue that while there are various reasons for the perception gap – including political rhetoric and media coverage – governments should be taking decisions on crimes based on evidence, not public perception.

OPINION: In this opinion article former Police Scotland superintendent Martin Gallagher gives his views on some of the challenges facing his former force, and why Chief Constable Jo Farrell is right to call for reform of three key areas – the courts process, policing mental health, and the response to minor crime – but argues that proposals put forward are unlikely to succeed.

OPINION: Police Foundation Director Rick Muir believes that the potential for citizen volunteering in police and public safety has been neglected for too long, and points to the success of volunteering approaches in a number of other countries including the US and Japan as an indication that placing citizen participation as central to policy discussions could help to solve some of the big challenges UK policing faces.

INNOVATION: Following confirmation in December of the UK’s associate status in relation to the Horizon Europe research programme, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at one of the latest rounds of funding opening up next month, which could see UK police forces working with their EU counterparts on projects to improve forensics and lawful evidence collection in the fight against online child sexual abuse.

ANALYSIS: New research by community safety professional Abu Ullah into the incidence of violence against women and girls in the London Borough of Sutton has highlighted the need for an evidence-based approach targeting hotspots to gain the most effective outcomes from overstretched police resources and reduce the threat to females, as he explained to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: In the ever-evolving world of law enforcement, staying one step ahead is critical. The ability to expect, rather than merely react, is what often tilts the balance in solving cases. This paradigm shift is feasible with sophisticated intelligence software like HUME.

ANALYSIS: As a counter-corruption reporting service is expanded across the UK, Policing Insight’s Ian Weinfass examines whether it will be effective and asks what else is needed to win back public trust.

ANALYSIS: The Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) is a key entry route into the UK police service; but Donna Eastham, Programme Lead for Professional Policing at Leeds Trinity University, warns that issues such as a lack of informed understanding or commitment to academic learning among employers, the impact of ‘war stories’, and the ‘inbetweenness’ degree apprenticeships create for policing students could all have damaging consequences for the success of the PCDA. 

INTERVIEW: In the latest in a series of interviews with leading figures involved in the research and investigation of organised crime (OC), Policing Insight’s Dr Chris Allen spoke to Chris Dalby, Director of OC publishing platform World of Crime, about why the age of the cartel may be coming to an end, how education could be the biggest weapon in the fight against organised crime, and the fact that many of those involved in organised crime would rather have a house, family and a middle-class lifestyle.

OPINION: With communities across Canada considering whether the Royal Canadian Mounted Police should be responsible for municipal policing, the city of Surrey in British Columbia has become one of the first to look to replace it with a newly-formed Surrey Police Service; but Royal Roads University Lecturer Dr Bryce Casavant believes the controversy and conflict between the RCMP and Surrey Police highlights the challenges around the transition.