Topical issues

ANALYSIS: Report Watch summarises the main findings of reports that impact on policing and includes responses from the main stakeholders as well as media reaction. Here we take a look at the Independent Office for Police Conduct (formerly the IPCC) annual report on deaths in and following police custody.

Q&A: Analytical and data processing software firm Forensic Analytics is the latest company to collaborate with The Police ICT Company, having recently been recognised on its Vendor Management Programme. Forensic Analytics Managing Director and co-founder Joe Hoy  gives his insight into the challenges facing policing in this space and how the collaboration with The Police ICT Company has simplified the procurement process.

ANALYSIS: Report Watch summarises the main findings of reports that impact on policing and includes responses from the main stakeholders as well as media reaction. Here we take a look at HMICFRS' fourth inspection of the National Crime Agency which, overall, finds an effective and efficient service, whilst highlighting areas for improvement.

Long Read: In the second of our three-part series on cyber crime and its effects on  UK policing, CEO and co-founder of Cyber Security Intelligence Alfred Rolington offers a detailed insight into the current cyber crime landscape and how UK policing is managing the threat.

ANALYSIS: The scale of the challenge involved in protecting the UK's borders is unprecedented. Professor Babak Akhgar of Sheffield Hallam University explains how the work of Project ROBORDER - testing innovative surveillance technologies - could help border security address emerging threats.

Opinion: Next year, the new Office for Communications Data Authorisations (OCDA) goes live. Interim CEO Shainila Pradhan explains the changes and the organisation's ambition to offer law enforcement a world class service.

POLICE ICT USER SURVEY: Two weeks left to go for UK police officers and staff to share their views and experiences of ICT provision in their force by taking part in the National Police ICT User Survey - a huge opportunity to help police decision makers and the supplier community improve the provision of ICT.

OPINION: Can graduates be trained to be detectives in just twelve weeks? Or is the experience gained from time on the street vital to understanding the job? Prof. Stuart Kirby of the University of Central Lancashire weighs the evidence.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: A fragmented commissioning landscape is contributing to a significant gap in the provision of therapeutic support services for children and young people who have experienced sexual abuse. Peter Richards, from the NSPCC’s Scale-Up Unit, explores the impact this has on children and the work that the NPSCC is undertaking to share an evidence-based therapeutic recovery service with organisations such as the Durham Child Advocacy Centre, to help more children rebuild their lives.

Opinion: Sharing big data holds enormous potential for policing, but it's a journey the fire service embarked on some years ago. Evan Morris MBE, former Head of Community Safety for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service and the Chief Fire Officers' Association lead on Ageing Safely Strategy outlines the fire services experience and the benefits to be had.

Analysis: Revolving Doors Agency, together with Barrow Cadbury Trust and Transition to Adulthood Alliance, publishes a new report Spotlight on Substance Misuse which looks at how PCCs reduce alcohol and drug addiction and reduce crime in their local areas.

OPINION: The cosmetic store Lush has suspended its 'spy cops' campaign after complaints that the displays were damaging and offensive to ordinary officers. Dr Kelly J. Stockdale of York St John University argues that the resistance to the Lush campaign shows that the police and government are still unwilling to respond to changing police priorities.

OPINION: The issue of degree-level entry for police officers has been much discussed in recent weeks. Carina O'Reilly, an editor at Policing Insight and also both an academic and a local councillor, argues that the ongoing controversy is one of legitimacy - and offers some lessons from local government on how to resolve it.

ANALYSIS: Accenture’s 2018 Technology Vision research has identified five key technology trends that have the potential to transform policing and public safety. James Slessor, Managing Director of Accenture Public Safety, explains the findings.

OPINION: In the wake of the ongoing debate over new police entry routes and the Police Educational Qualification Framework, Emma Williams of Canterbury Christ Church University argues that knowledge in policing needs to be recognised as reflexive, and police education as a two-way process.

ANALYSIS: One year on from the launch of the Policing Insight series looking at PCCs and fire governance, Catherine Levin finds that the road to fire governance is fraught with obstacles and these will likely discourage other PCCs from following any time soon.

Analysis: Mental health researcher and practitioner Dr Jane McGregor is currently writing a book on coping with stress in the emergency services. Her interviews with police officers reveal problems of morale, overwork and high stress which mean many are considering quitting the service. 

OPINION: Business Lead for Digital Policing for West Yorkshire Police Chief Inspector Ian Williams explores his force's digital transformation and what a difference the right application can make to frontline policing.

Opinion: Giles Herdale, co-chair of the Independent Digital Ethics Panel for Policing (IDEPP), explains the importance of ethics in digital policing and the role of the panel in ensuring forces factor ethics into their digital policing programmes from the outset.

SPOTLIGHT ON: Policing Insight has over a thousand in depth articles on a wide range of policing issues. SPOTLIGHT ON is a new series which groups articles under one subject heading allowing you quick and easy reference when you need it. Here, we tackle facial recognition technology which recently hit the headlines raising questions and concerns as to its role in policing.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: There are plenty of generic scheduling solutions that work great for organisations with simple shift patterns or your typical 9-5. InTime’s mission is to provide advanced scheduling and workforce management tools for complex organisations that don’t fit that mould.

OPINION: The will to share data in policing exists, but the mechanisms to do so remain unwieldy. Boyd Mulvey, CEO of Chorus Intelligence, argues that removing the barriers demonstrates what can be achieved and will encourage greater sharing.

INSIGHT: Our new series, exclusive to Policing Insight, examines the impact of cyber-crime on UK policing. In the first of three articles, CEO and co-founder of Cyber Security Intelligence Alfred Rolington explores the '4th Industrial Revolution' and the factors leading to the emergence of cyber-crime.

ANALYSIS: Report Watch summarises the main findings of reports that impact on policing and includes responses from the main stakeholders as well as media reaction. Here we take a look at HMICFRS's State of Policing report which is HMCIC Sir Thomas Winsor's assessment of the current effectiveness and efficiency of policing based on the Peel Inspections carried out last year.