Topical issues

OPINION: Levels of violent crime across America saw an unprecedented increase in 2020, and remain worryingly high in 2021; in this latest essay from the Violence Reduction Project, former NYPD Detective Sergeant Joseph Giacalone, now an Adjunct Professor at the City University of New York, explains why solving cold cases could build community bridges, take more offenders off the street, and play a crucial part in reducing levels of violence.

OPINION: Defining laws on hate speech is notoriously difficult; but as New Zealand considers new legislation to protect groups against the impact of hate speech, Dr Eddie Clark, Senior Lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington, believes that the current insistence on proving a link to inciting violence as a precondition for defining hate speech regulation is wrong, and contradicts other existing forms of speech regulation in New Zealand law.

ANALYSIS: As technology evolves, policing faces new challenges protecting the rule of law and victims online, while serving the online community; in Europol’s latest Spotlight position paper, Dr Mary Aiken, Professor of Forensic Cyberpsychology at the University of East London, and Dr Philipp Amann, Head of Expertise & Stakeholder Management at Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre, explore these key challenges, and consider the question of where to draw the cyber blue line.

ANALYSIS: While many businesses and communities struggled to overcome the challenges presented by the pandemic, COVID-19 also offered opportunities for fraudsters and cybercriminals to target both vulnerable individuals and financial support packages offered by governments around the world; Policing Insight’s Andy Staniforth looks at some of the steps being taken – and the early successes – in the fight against COVID-19 fraud.

FEATURE: Continuing a new series of The Police Student, Policing Insight Academic Editor Dr Carina O’Reilly takes a closer look at governance and accountability in UK policing – from local watch committees to the birth of the tripartite system, the introduction of PCCs, increasing politicisation, and the tension between independence and insight for those tasked with ensuring accountability.

FEATURE: Just days after a ‘politically exposed’ member of an elite Azerbaijan family paid a £4m settlement to the National Crime Agency following claims she had brought corrupt, stolen and embezzled funds into the UK via the ‘Azerbaijani Laundromat’, a new report from Spotlight on Corruption has highlighted major loopholes in the UK’s golden visa scheme enabling dirty money to flood into the UK; Policing Insight Deputy Editor Sarah Gibbons reports.

Job Advertisement: The University of West London (UWL) is delighted to announce the formation of a new Institute for Policing Studies (IPS). UWL are now looking to recruit a Head of the new IPS to lead, develop and deliver the PEQF programmes under contract to Babcock International and develop UWL’s growing national and international reputation in professional policing practice and associated disciplines.

Job Advertisement: The University of West London (UWL) is delighted to announce the formation of a new Institute for Policing Studies (IPS). UWL are now looking to recruit a Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Policing whose expertise aligns with the IPS and who can make a significant contribution to our teaching, research and knowledge exchange activities.

INNOVATION: The need for policing to maximise the potential of the continuing digital revolution is often highlighted – but how well have UK forces ridden the wave of digital transformation so far? Policing adviser and former deputy chief constable Paul Kennedy, and policing consultant Damon Ugargol, examine the key new technologies for policing, how to overcome the challenges of legacy systems, and the opportunities offered by greater integration and interoperability.

OPINION: The balance between protecting civil liberties and ensuring national security is under scrutiny in Australia, as global issues such as the threat of extremism, international conflicts and the COVID-19 pandemic impact on communities nationally and locally; lawyer Lydia Shelly and Dr John Coyne of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute believe the long-term solution is a bill of rights – but there are short-term measures that could be taken in the meantime.

FEATURE: The latest Home Office figures for the police use of terrorism-related powers show that arrests are at their lowest level since 2011, due largely to the overall reduction in crime during the pandemic; but counter-terror police have repeated concerns over the “perfect storm” for online radicalisation of children and vulnerable people that has seen terror-related arrests of under-18s rise, as Policing Insight’s Sean Howe reports.

OPINION: Levels of violent crime across America saw an unprecedented increase in 2020, and remain worryingly high in 2021; in this latest essay from the Violence Reduction Project, born and bred city resident Voice of Chicago highlights the devastating impact of the increase in the number of murders, violence and gun crime has had on the city’s Black community, and what can be done to address the problem.

ANALYSIS: As part of its wider work on the impact of COVID-19 on the criminal justice system, criminal justice research and consultancy organisation Crest Advisory are currently exploring whether out-of-court disposals can reduce the numbers attending court and cut reoffending rates; but as Crest’s Head of Strategy and Insight, Danny Shaw, and Analyst Delene Adams explain the first phase of the project took an unexpected turn.

OPINION: The increased use of police body-worn cameras has been welcomed in many quarters as a route to improving transparency and accountability; but Bryce Newell, Assistant Professor of Media Law and Policy at the University of Oregon, fears that public records laws such as those prevalent in the US can lead to people’s most sensitive and traumatic moments being made available for public viewing.

FEATURE: Last month the FBI and Australian Federal Police, working with the US Drug Enforcement Administration, Europol and police forces in 15 other countries, carried out a series of raids causing major disruption to criminal networks worldwide, thanks to information secured through a police-developed phone encryption app that had become a favourite with criminals; Policing Insight’s Andy Staniforth looks at the incredible success of Operation Trojan Shield.

OPINION: In the latest in his series of bi-monthly articles, Superintendent Simon Nelson, President of the Disabled Police Association, looks at the importance of creating a safe, supportive and inclusive environment within policing, which enables those with a disability to share their identity of living with those conditions, and ensure that forces make best use of the extensive skillsets that people have to offer.

ANALYSIS: Europol’s latest EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report (TE-SAT) found that while terrorist activity in Europe remained stable in 2020, more jihadist attacks were completed than stopped, as policing across the continent struggled to cope with the pandemic; Policing Insight’s Sean Howe looks at some of the key issues highlighted by the report, including the increase in radicalisation during COVID-19, and the growth of online extremist propaganda.

FEATURE: An interim report by HMICFRS into UK policing’s response to violence against women and girls (VAWG) has urged forces to build on current momentum to improve the service and support offered to the victims of such crimes; Policing Insight Deputy Editor Sarah Gibbons takes a closer look at the report, including suggestions for a ‘VAWG minimum standard’ for police investigations, and the need for a ‘radical refocus’ to tackle the problem.

ANALYSIS: The latest UN World Drug Report has highlighted how organised crime groups adapted to the impact of COVID-19 on drug trafficking, and the continuing growth of the dark web marketplace for narcotics; in this second of two articles focusing on the report, Policing Insight’s Chris Allen looks at the changes in the production, transportation and sale of the world’s most popular illegal drugs, with a focus on cocaine and methamphetamine.

FEATURE: As the UK continues to experience record numbers of drug-related deaths, some forces have turned increasingly to drug diversion schemes to tackle drug use, alongside the traditional prohibition deterrent; Thames Valley’s successful Drug Diversion Scheme breaches some of the ‘red line’ guidance on out of court disposals, but Chief Inspector Jason Kew believes the benefits to individuals and the wider community justify the approach.

ANALYSIS: Levels of violent crime across America saw an unprecedented increase in 2020, and remain worryingly high in 2021; in this latest essay from the Violence Reduction Project, Professor Joel Caplan of Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice explains how using a data-informed approach to crime prevention which engages local communities can offer an effective alternative to focusing solely on law enforcement.

ANALYSIS: The use of cognitive interviewing techniques to get the best outcomes from witness interviews has advanced significantly in recent years, but common errors and misconceptions continue to arise; ahead of this month’s Rapid-Fire Conference on Investigative Interviewing supported by Policing Insight, Becky Milne, Professor of Forensic Psychology, sets out her Top 10 tips for successfully carrying out cognitive interviews with witnesses.

ANALYSIS: Sixteen years ago today, four suicide bombers carrying rucksacks packed with explosives attacked central London, killing 52 people and injuring hundreds more; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at what happened in the lead up to the worst single terrorist atrocity on British soil, and how those events have continued to have an impact on counter-terrorism and UK policing through to the current day.

ANALYSIS: The latest UN World Drug Report has highlighted that while the COVID-19 pandemic briefly interrupted the international drug trade, organised crime groups soon adapted to the new conditions, and the dark web continued to be a key marketplace for narcotics; in the first of two articles focusing on the report, Policing Insight’s Chris Allen looks at the expansion of the dark web, and the key drug trafficking trends.