Topical issues

FEATURE: A review of the New South Wales Police response to those in mental health crisis has recommended that the force switch to the Right Care, Right Person model pioneered in the UK, after identifying that a law enforcement presence can often be an “escalating factor” for those experiencing a mental health crisis, while the over-reliance on a police response can increase risks and stretch resources, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

OPINION: Several commissions have advocated for the devolution of policing and justice to Wales, but the move doesn’t currently feature in the Labour Government’s plans; Bangor University Law Lecturer Stephen Clear, and Chaynee Hodgetts, a Barrister and Honorary Lecturer at Queen Mary University of London, argue that despite the challenges, starting the process of devolution represents an opportunity for the Government to bring about meaningful change.

ANALYSIS: In the first of a two-part feature marking the 30th anniversary of police use of TASER, Policing Insight’s James Sweetland explores the global growth of this tool, what it offers policing, and concerns about racial disproportionality and use in mental health incidents – drawing on interviews with National Police Chiefs’ Council less-lethal weapons lead Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi, Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber, and others.

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 compares and contrasts the use of AI drones as patrol tools and first responders with the traditional role of patrol cars, and explores the key issues around privacy, accountability and oversight.

ANALYSIS: The latest police workforce data for England and Wales shows the roller coaster ride for resources during the 2010 to 2024 Conservative-led governments, with numbers dropping sharply followed by a rapid but partial with the Uplift after 2019; in this second of three articles, Ian Wiggett looks at the current workforce mix across England and Wales, and the recruitment and retention challenges.

FEATURE: The latest New Zealand Police Tactical Options report, which explores the use of force by officers, shows that Māori males aged 18-45 are disproportionately represented in interactions, in comparison to their cohort in the wider population; but the report also warns that focusing on ethnicity as the cause for over-representation can mask complex underlying causes, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

INTERVIEW: Policing Insight’s recent ‘Facing the future: the rise of facial recognition in policing’ report drew on 34 interviews with operational leaders and experts to examine how police use facial recognition (FR) around the world, and the key debates about the technology; as part of that project, James Sweetland interviewed Dr Nessa Lynch, Matheson Lecturer in Law, Innovation and Technology at University College Cork, about the risk and regulation of FR – and in this article, we share more from that insightful conversation.

FEATURE: Ongoing research by Anglia Ruskin University’s International Policing and Public Protection Research Institute (IPPPRI) has highlighted the gap in support for families of suspects of online child sexual abuse, and vital role played by Indirect Victim Support Officers both in providing guidance and assistance for those families, and relieving the burden on officers investigating the case, as IPPPRI Associate Professor Dr Theresa Redmond explains.

INNOVATION: Social media contacts with police forces soared during the disorder in England and Northern Ireland in the summer of 2024; Policing Insight’s Ian Weinfass looks at the role digi desks played during the crisis, and examines how useful they are for day-to-day operations.

OPINION: A series of recent high-profile stabbing incidents in Australia has prompted increased concerns from communities and calls for politicians to act against knife crime; but Macquarie University lecturers Dr Vince Hurley and Dr Alex Simpson argue that, despite public fears, when it comes to knife crime Australia compares favourably with countries such as the UK and Canada.

ANALYSIS: In the second of two articles on the community intelligence-led policing methodology (CILPM), Steve Dodd, a former South Wales Police detective and College of Policing subject matter expert on intelligence professionalisation, looks at how CILPM can help to tackle some of the existing key policing challenges, and why the current focus on community and neighbourhood policing make it the ideal time to adopt the new methodology.

FEATURE: A new report from Europol sets out how artificial intelligence (AI) could “significantly transform policing”, with tools such as generative AI offering a “treasure trove of possibilities” for law enforcement; but the report also highlights the profound risks around AI systems embedding “longstanding societal biases”, and the important restrictions coming into force via the landmark EU AI Act passed earlier this year, as Policing Insight’s James Sweetland reports. 

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: We have sold out Building Bridges at Blue - Canada’s first in-person Evidence-Based Policing Conference taking place November 7 & 8, 2024, at the iconic Blue Mountain Resort, in Collingwood, Ontario. This event is drawing attendees from post secondary institutions, police agencies and industry stakeholders across Canada.

INNOVATION: A youth-focused custody suite introduced by Cleveland Police provides separate facilities for young offenders away from potentially damaging influences of adult suspects, and the opportunity to talk to Youth Justice Service ‘custody navigators’ offering engagement and immediate support, in an initiative which is already attracting interest from other forces, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

INTERVIEW: As the new Director General of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), ex-Home Office official Rachel Watson is heading up a body that’s constantly in the headlines; in an interview with Policing Insight’s James Sweetland, she explained the IOPC’s aim to be “really radical in speeding up parts of its investigations”, why a funding boost’s needed to mitigate a 34% real-terms budget cut, and why it’s “healthy” that the watchdog “won’t always agree with policing”.

INNOVATION: An artificial intelligence-powered knife database, created through a collaboration between the Metropolitan Police and Surrey University, is enabling officers to match dangerous weapons using images taken in often dark and difficult conditions; a dashboard explaining how the knife recognition system works could soon be rolled out nationwide, as the Office of the Police Chief Scientific Adviser reports.

INTERVIEW: Despite new legal provisions and the best effort of law enforcement agencies, the online terror threat persists, with increasingly sophisticated propaganda campaigns recruiting and radicalising teenagers to terrorist causes; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth spoke to international expert Laurence Bindner, co-founder of the JOS Project, about the challenges of tackling online terrorism and the current threat landscape.

ANALYSIS: The latest police workforce data for England and Wales shows the roller coaster ride for resources during the 2010 to 2024 Conservative-led governments, with numbers dropping sharply followed by a rapid but partial rise with the Uplift after 2019; in this first in a series of three articles, Ian Wiggett looks at the changes in workforce numbers over the past 14 years.

FEATURE: Despite a growing move to delay post-incident officer interviews for at least 48 hours after an event, new research presented at last month’s Global Evidence-Based Policing Conference shows the better recall and increased accuracy of more immediate interviews; Griffith University Associate Professor Justin Ready, who led the research, also highlighted the benefits and challenges of incorporating body-word video footage into interviews, as Policing Insight’s Keith Potter reports.

OPINION: With policing and public interactions increasingly filmed and shared online, and new force-led initiatives allowing the public to view video footage and critique the actions of officers in often testing circumstances, former Police Scotland Superintendent Martin Gallagher fears that policing is increasingly being drawn into a focus on how officers ‘perform’ rather than delivering outcomes for the public.

INTERVIEW: Having experienced plenty of “ugly” and “brutal” racism in her younger life and early policing career, Leanne Liddle has now joined Northern Territory Police Force as Executive Director of the Community Resilience and Engagement Command, with a remit to help reform the force and rebuild trust with the Aboriginal community; and as she told Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons, with the NT Police “on the cusp” of important change, she’s not frightened to ruffle a few feathers.

OPINION: A ruling by the British Columbia Supreme Court has cleared the way for Surrey Police Service to take over from the RCMP as the force of jurisdiction from next month; Royal Roads University Associate Lecturer Dr Bryce Casavant believes the Federal Government support for the move to municipal policing in Surrey could see other communities around Canada follow suit.

ANALYSIS: With a renewed government focus on neighbourhood and community policing in the UK, Steve Dodd, a former South Wales Police detective and College of Policing subject matter expert on intelligence professionalisation, sets out the potential of community intelligence-led policing methodology in improving intelligence gathering and rebuilding public trust and confidence, in the first of a two-part series.

FEATURE: After its introduction by Humberside Police, the mental health policing approach Right Care, Right Person has been rolled out nationally in England and Wales; but a new announcement from New Zealand Police – a four-phase plan to reduce mental health demand on frontline officers and encourage health partners to take more of a lead – suggests it’s changing international practice too, as Policing Insight’s James Sweetland reports.