Topical issues

ANALYSIS: With “more mobile, connected” youth gangs responsible for “an escalation in the harm that they can cause to the community and themselves”, Victoria Police has launched a new holistic and integrated approach to detect those most at risk of gang activity, divert them from gang involvement, and disrupt the gang-related violent offending that has been taking place, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

OPINION: An arrest earlier this month of an autistic 16-year-old girl by officers in West Yorkshire for a suspected ‘homophobic public order offence’ received widespread attention after her mother posted a video of the incident; University of Hull Policing Degree Programme Director and former officer Mike McKue, and Senior Lecturer in Criminology Dr Meron Wondemaghen, believe more police training in understanding and responding to neurodiversity can improve trust in policing and reduce harm.

OPINION: The recent trial and conviction in the UK of nurse Lucy Letby, who was found guilty of multiple child murders and attempted murders, has horrified the country, and prompted many questions about the trial process and why her actions weren’t identified and prevented sooner; former Police Scotland superintendent Martin Gallagher believes some of those questions are pertinent both for policing and the wider criminal justice system.

INTERVIEW: In the latest in a series of interviews with leading figures involved in the research and investigation of organised crime, Policing Insight’s Dr Chris Allen spoke to University of Bath Professor Felia Allum, Chair of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) Standing Group on Organised Crime, about talking to the mafia, the role of women in crime, and why the best way to tackle organised crime is by addressing poverty and lack of opportunity.

ANALYSIS: An inspection report into policing’s contribution in England and Wales to the prevention of homicide has highlighted a range of concerns in some forces including a lack of oversight by chief officers, a shortage of analysts, a “misplaced confidence” in the ability to link precursor incidents, and an inadequate allocation of resources to manage the most dangerous people that represents a “failure to protect the public”, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: Earlier this month WeCops – ‘the Twitter home of continuous professional development for policing’ – held its latest Tweet chat event focusing on communications, hosted by West Mercia Chief Constable and NPCC comms lead Pippa Mills; WeCops’ Sgt Kerri Monaghan looks at the key points and comments made during the discussion, and highlights some of the potential learning that resulted from the chat.

OPINION: Earlier this month the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (SIS) published its security threat assessment – the first time the public has had access to the information; University of Waikato Professor of Law Alexander Gillespie argues that while the threat assessment makes for welcome but occasionally unsettling reading, having such conversations in the open demystifies aspects of national security.

ANALYSIS: In the latest in our series of articles on the policing workforce in England and Wales, Policing Insight’s Ian Wiggett reviews the official data for the 2022/23 financial year, and explores some of the resulting challenges facing police forces – including the significant reduction in staff and PCSOs, the struggles for some around retention and resignations, and how to adapt to the ‘new normal’.

INTERVIEW: As cybersecurity threats persist, Dr Reza Montasari, Senior Lecturer in Cyber Threats at the Cyber Threats Research Centre at Swansea University, spoke to Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth about the dangers to law enforcement agencies and public sector authorities, and how new approaches to cyber security and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms present opportunities to transform policing.

ANALYSIS: Defined as an offence committed by insiders (including employees and managers) who abuse their position for personal gain, policing – as with all organisations – suffers instances of insider fraud, but the impact of such crimes can be significant; recent UK research by Dr Rasha Kassem, Senior Lecturer at Aston University, highlights the wide variety of offences – ranging from the sale of data to sexual exploitation and commercial conflicts of interest – and suggests steps that the service can take to tackle the issue.

ANALYSIS: Confidential informers play a significant role in police investigations around the world, but there are also recognised risks of informers committing ‘treachery’ – either intentionally feeding officers false information, or revealing their identity to a third person; new research by Sgt David Younan and Crime Analyst Sarah Harmer – both of London Police Service, Ontario – examines the instances of treachery by Service informants over a two-decade period, and suggests evidence-based approaches that policing can implement to minimize the risks.

OPINION: Despite concerns about the use of ‘release under investigation’ powers in the UK, police were given greater discretion to use the alternative approach – pre-charge bail – in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022; but Penelope Gibbs, Director of Transform Justice, argues that both the legislation and the subsequent guidance for police are muddled, with the powers punitive, stigmatising, and ultimately unenforceable.

FEATURE: Just a year after completing the Multi-Agency Gold Incident Command Course (MAGIC), David Marshall found himself leading the multi-agency response for a significant major incident; here he reflects on the steps he took as Gold Commander, how the MAGIC training and Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles proved vital in shaping and delivering that response, and the lessons learned from the experience.

OPINION: With a growing emphasis on police collaboration with partner agencies and stakeholders, Association of British Investigators (ABI) Secretariat Tony Imossi sets out why he believes closer working between policing and the ABI’s private investigator membership could bring a range of benefits including enhanced investigative skills, improved efficiency and resource allocation, and enhanced training and professional development opportunities.

OPINION: With a combination of municipal, provincial and regional law enforcement, Canada’s policing environment is both complex and in need of national standards; in this first of two articles, Vernon White, former Chief of Police for Ottawa Police Service, and Joe Carlebach, former Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health at Hammersmith and Fulham Council, argue that establishing a college of policing for Canada could help to create those standards while also professionalising the policing role.

ANALYSIS: Early identification and support for those experiencing domestic abuse can be crucial in helping to reduce the risk of negative outcomes; a new study undertaken by Swansea University Research Officers Dr Natasha Kennedy and Amrita Bandyopadhyay suggests that linking police safeguarding data with healthcare records could identify people at high risk of domestic abuse, and enable health professionals to refer victims earlier to support services.

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FEATURE: A crime prevention approach implemented by Essex Police used spatial analytics to focus on ‘places not people’ and incorporated hotspot policing to reduce offending by 40%; with the initiative now viewed as ‘business as usual’ within the force, the Home Office has directed other forces to ensure surge funding to tackle violence is focused on a similar hotspot approach, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

ANALYSIS: UK police leaders and inspectorates have frequently highlighted the importance of neighbourhood policing, and community engagement is a crucial element to that approach; University of Northampton Associate Professor Dr Tim Curtis, Executive Director of Intensive Engagement, discusses his latest research which surveyed the neighbourhood policing skills of 150 police officers and PCSOs, and how effectively those skills are applied to a real-world policing scenario.

OPINION: A recent decision by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to allow retailers to use live facial recognition (LFR) to tackle shoplifters has come under criticism amid claims the authority was influenced by the Home Office and a private supplier; Dr Asress Gikay, Senior Lecturer in AI, Disruptive Innovation, and Law at Brunel University, believes the ICO’s decision is erroneous and lacks transparency, and that private entities should carry out the same equality impact assessments as law enforcement to ensure the responsible use of LFR.

INTERVIEW: In the latest in a series of interviews with leading figures involved in the research and investigation of organised crime, Policing Insight’s Dr Chris Allen spoke to fraud and financial crime consultant Gerald Doyle about researching the true scale of waste crime, the changing focus of organised crime from drugs to finance, and why asset recovery may be the best way to target organised crime’s ever-evolving business model.

OPINION: This year marks the 125th anniversary of the official recognition of police matrons in Australia, but women had undertaken this work for at least 50 years beforehand; University of Newcastle Criminology Lecturer Dr Alice Neikirk explores one of women’s earliest roles in policing – a role which shared many of the same characteristics as today’s problem-orientated policing model.

INNOVATION: Police Futures, a new publication from the UK’s Police Chief Scientific Adviser, moves beyond science fiction to consider how technology will shape policing over the coming decades; in the last of a three-part series exploring the report, Policing Insight’s James Sweetland looks at the findings around more advanced technologies – specifically, how neural interfaces might change how policing works in the future.

OPINION: As police forces across the UK begin to implement the Right Care, Right Person approach to those in mental health crisis, former Police Scotland Superintendent Martin Gallagher argues that it’s time policing re-examined other ‘partnerships’ with agencies that are clearly not working, and which see police treated as ‘third-class citizens’ in unequal relationships.