Topical issues

OPINION: A more co-ordinated integration of cybercrime and terrorism is leading to the growth of cyber terrorism, warns Western Australia MP and counter-terrorism expert Dr Anne Aly – and more trained experts, extra resources and strong legislation are needed to tackle the terrorist exploitation of the internet.

INNOVATION: With the first round of security projects funded by the S-TRIG programme now presented publicly, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the advantages of the early stage funding competition, and the success of Project Artifact, a screening and detection system that received a £30,000 grant through the process.

OPINION: The guilty verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin for the killing of George Floyd should be the catalyst for fundamental change in US policing, believes Professor Temitope Oriola, who argues that – with 17 disciplinary complaints against him – the fact that Chauvin was still a serving officer suggests the system is broken.

Advertisement Feature: Towards Justice: Law Enforcement & Reconciliation is a 2-day virtual conference convened by Cumberland Lodge and supported by Policing Insight, on 17-18 June 2021, examining policing approaches and criminal justice responses to past harms and injustices in society. The Cumberland Lodge team outline the key features of the interactive programme and how to secure your place.

OPINION: Policing, like much of the public sector, is based on a legacy structure, with leaders progressing through the ranks; but Devon and Cornwall Chief Inspector Steve Lenney wonders what would happen if visionary private-sector leaders saw an opportunity to deliver improved policing services and make a profit?

OPINION: News that the Home Office is considering reintroducing league tables for the performance of police forces in England and Wales against six key crime types was criticised last week by police leaders and staff associations; Former chief superintendent Owen West shares some of his own experiences of the negative impact of police targets, and why they can have a damaging effect on community relations.

FEATURE: The idea of drug-filled submarines bringing cocaine from Colombia to Europe may seem more suited to the cinema screen than the Atlantic, but as Policing insight’s Chris Allen reports, recent seizures would suggest that narco-subs built in South America are now able to travel much longer distances, bringing their lethal cargo to a much larger market.

ANALYSIS: A research project to collate audio diaries from serving UK police officers has highlighted the impact that stress and emotional suppression is having on their mental health; Former detective inspector Sarah-Jane Lennie, now a Chartered Psychologist and Researcher at Manchester Metropolitan University, outlines the findings from the project, and the implications for policing and police officers.

OPINION: Levels of violent crime across America saw an unprecedented increase in 2020; in this latest essay from the Violence Reduction Project, Nick Selby, former Director of Cyber Intelligence and Investigations for NYPD, sets out why funding mental health teams staffed by clinicians and cops would be a smarter way to reduce violence and deaths.

FEATURE: The various COVID-19 lockdowns have prompted criminal activity to move increasingly online, with illicit financial transactions following suit; ahead of next week’s We Fight Fraud online conference, Dr Nicola Harding outlines the findings of a new white paper which reveal how low-level criminal commerce is increasingly becoming part of the cashless society.

ANALYSIS: Many people – including police officers – base their ability to detect liars on faulty logic, false promises and unreliable cues; Detective Chief Superintendent Colin Paine, and University of Portsmouth Teaching Fellow Cody Porter, expose some of the myths around lie detection, and highlight the latest evidence-based approaches to identifying the truth.

OPINION: In the latest in his series of bi-monthly articles, Superintendent Simon Nelson, President of the Disabled Police Association, looks at the unnecessary impact of the job-related fitness test on those with disabilities, and calls for a wider conversation about the appropriateness of the test for a changing workforce.

ANALYSIS: More than a year after Sir Craig Mackey submitted his review of UK serious organised crime, last month the Government published an ‘Executive Summary’ only, adding that plans to tackle SOC would now come under the Integrated Security Review; Policing Insight's Ian Wiggett reports on the challenges, concerns and lack of detail in the fight against organised crime.

FEATURE: In his recently published second review of UK anti-terrorism legislation, Jonathan Hall QC, the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, has called for new police powers to tackle digital encryption; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth explains why such powers are desperately needed to keep up with advances in technology.

Insight: A new multi-partner approach to sharing data has been adopted in Thames Valley to help tackle the scourge of violence; Governed by a principle of no 'misuse' of data, whilst ensuring there is no 'missed use' of data, the project aims to direct early intervention and prevention strategies, explains its head, DCI Lewis Prescott-Mayling.

UK PCC ELECTIONS 2021: With just over two weeks until the police and crime commissioner elections in England and Wales, Policing Insight’s in-depth coverage is underway; Policing Insight’s Publisher Bernard Rix takes a look at the likely open contests, safe seats, and those too close to call.

INNOVATION: The ‘ad-hoc development’ of technology and communications has compromised the law enforcement efforts of South Australia Police; but force CIO Hamish Cameron believes issuing mobile phones to all officers and staff will deliver a ‘step change in the technology’ for SAPOL, as Policing Insight Deputy Editor Sarah Gibbons reports.  

FEATURE: Several studies over recent years have highlighted the issues around mental health, stress and fatigue faced by blue light workers, but awareness hasn’t always led to action; Debra Kettle of KIM Software Solutions, organisers of a new series of wellbeing webinars for the emergency services, hopes the shared experiences and discussions will help to turn the rhetoric into reality.

FEATURE: Forty years ago this month, rioting erupted in Brixton – and later in 1981 across the country – leading to one of the most significant inquiries into policing in the UK; in the second half of a two-part feature, Dr Wendy Laverick of Hull University and Professor Peter Joyce of Wrexham Glyndŵr University explore the impact of Lord Scarman’s recommendations, and their legacy on key areas of police reform.

FEATURE: An independent evaluation of the national Liaison and Diversion scheme undertaken in police custody suites and courts across England has found that the programme may halve the likelihood of service users being jailed, and save the criminal justice system up to £41.5 million.

OPINION: Both the Commission for Countering Extremism and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services have put forward new terminology to describe extremist organisations and activities in the UK; but Professor Chris Allen of the University of Leicester believes the new definitions could create more problems than they solve.

OPINION: Levels of violent crime across America saw an unprecedented increase in 2020; in this latest essay from the Violence Reduction Project, former police officer and current police reservist Steve Bellow outlines what Black communities want from policing – and why its important to listen to the people, rather than experts, academics and civic leaders.

OPINION: The findings of the recent Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities Report have been called into question by a number of campaign and community groups; but police ethics advisor Montell Neufville believes that among the recommendations are some important messages for prospective PCCs and mayors on public scrutiny and police-community relations.

FEATURE: The recent riots in Northern Ireland have been blamed on the Brexit sea border controversy and the decision not to prosecute Republican mourners over a COVID-19 funeral breach; but a recent review of terrorism legislation warns that delays and failures in the country’s criminal justice system could exacerbate the issues, as Policing insight’s Andrew Staniforth explains.