Topical issues

FEATURE: The illegal trade in wildlife and plants threatens some of the world's most vulnerable and endangered species; but tackling this illicit activity can also help law enforcement agencies in the fight against other serious and organised international crime, as freelance journalist and specialist scientific and environmental writer Georgina Kenyon explains.

OPINION: Lie detector tests such as polygraphs, which use an individual’s anxiety levels to indicate the veracity of their statements, have been criticised as ‘theoretically weak’ and unreliable; but new methods which rely on the asymmetry in responses from liars and truth-tellers could be the way forward, as University of Portsmouth Senior Teaching Fellow Cody Porter explains.

ANALYSIS: Former senior police officer Richard James of community engagement specialists Intensive Engagement shares the company’s methodology on working with communities to reduce crime, and how the approach can be applied to a range of other social issues.

INNOVATION: Recent serious public disorder in Brussels, and the much-covered riots in Washington DC, highlighted the dangers facing police when they are overwhelmed by unexpected public violence; a new virtual reality platform providing immersive simulation of real-world public places could offer police and security agencies the best possible preparation for such events, reports Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth.

INNOVATION: A £55m police-led cyber security system designed to detect attacks and protect businesses and organisations is now being rolled out nationally after a successful pilot in north-east England; Policing Insight's Sarah Gibbons reports on Police CyberAlarm

OPINION: The launch of the Government's Serious Violence Strategy in 2018 was overshadowed by leaked Home Office documents suggesting police cuts contributed to the rise in violent crime; almost three years later, and after a lengthy legal battle, the Home Office has finally released those documents, as former BBC Home Affairs Correspondent Danny Shaw explains.

FEATURE: Devon and Cornwall’s Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner has been pioneering efforts to improve community engagement over the past five years; and while COVID-19 has had a huge impact on face-to-face contact, the team’s approach has continued to bear fruit during pandemic lockdowns, as Policing Insight Contributing Editor Tina Orr Munro reports.

OPINION: In December the UK Government confirmed that it was scrapping standalone unconscious bias training for civil servants, citing a report that suggested it was ineffective, and could even be counter-productive; but Police Ethics Advisor Montell Neufville believes such training – particularly when delivered as part of wider learning on diversity, cultural competency or risk management – still has an important role to play in policing.

OPINION: Advances in technology have seen drones become more available, more capable and simpler to use, which has means the opportunity for criminal use has also increased; Policing Insight's Andrew Staniforth looks at the threats posed by drones, and the measures that can be taken to counter them.

OPINION: Deferred prosecution – which offers alleged offenders a diversion and rehabilitation programme rather than the court process – has been piloted by two UK police forces with impressive early results; Penelope Gibbs, Director of Transform Justice, believes with more research the initiative could prove to be a game changer.

OPINION: Many sections of the media have been quick to blame ‘covidiots’ for the spread of COVID-19, and equally quick to back a police crackdown; but former chief superintendent Owen West, a Research Fellow at Keele University, says the evidence suggests the media narrative is false, and that the 'get tough' approach is part of a wider politicisation of policing that could do long-term damage to the police-public relationship.

OPINION: Police and governments are investing heavily in public safety technology, but as result frontline responders are often faced with vast amounts of data when trying to assess ongoing incidents; Kalyn Sims of computer-aided dispatch specialists Hexagon believes assisted artificial intelligence could be the key to rapid, real-time analysis of data.

OPINION: Coverage of protesters storming the Capitol Building in Washington DC was watched around the world, with many questioning the ease with which rioters gained entry to the heart of federal government; Tom Nolan, Associate Professor of Sociology at Emmanuel College, Boston, believes the events of the day will be viewed by many experts as ‘an international embarrassment for American law enforcement’.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Policing in the UK is regarded as a benchmark for the rest of the world. So dealing effectively with evolving criminality and cybercrime, along with increasing complex digital evidence, is vital if the UK is to remain a beacon of excellence.

FEATURE: New Zealand has faced a significant challenge in tackling domestic violence, but a new multi-agency, holistic approach to ‘family harm’ – centred around Te Taanga Manawa, the new multi-disciplinary hub pioneered in South Auckland – could lead to much greater success in meeting that challenge, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

OPINION: In 2020 the UK took a number of steps to strengthen its resilience and defence against cyber attack, at a time when millions more people began working remotely; but as Policing Insight's Andy Staniforth reports, despite the efforts of law enforcement and security agencies, the cyber threat landscape still looks pretty bleak.

OPINION: Embarking on academic study is challenging, particularly for anyone with a specific learning difficulty and few formal educational qualifications; but with the right support from policing and academia, real achievement is possible, explains Essex Police Sgt Ben Forbes, British Citizen Award winner and now First-Class BSc Honours graduate.

FEATURE: With public confidence in policing high on the agenda of many forces, Dubai Police has developed new initiatives around citizen focus, community engagement and victim support to help deliver greater customer satisfaction; Dubai Police consultant Jorge Román and Captain Dr Abdullah Al Shaikh, Head of the force’s Victim Support Programme, explain the approach.

OPINION: Nigerian public protests against the country's notorious SARS police, led largely by young people, seemed to secure a victory when President Buhari agreed to disband the unit; but any sense of celebration has turned sour, with the Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) appearing to be a new label for an old institution, says Duke University Assistant Professor Samuel Fury Childs Daly.

OPINION: The announcement in November of a multi-million pound counter-terror centre for the UK which brings together police and the security services was rightly welcomed; but as Policing Insight's Andrew Staniforth reports, moving forwards the relationship between community policing and counter-terrorism will be crucial to negating the wide array of terrorist and extremist threats.

FEATURE: The death of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests have focused attention on race and policing around the world, including in the UK; now a new report by the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners has highlighted existing and ongoing efforts to tackle racial disparity and disproportionality in policing, as Policing Insight's Tina Orr Munro reports.

OPINION: COVID-19 has undoubtedly placed significant pressures on UK policing, but the unique environment, coupled with advances in technology and continuing recruitment efforts, have also created potential benefits; Boyd Mulvey, founder and CEO of Chorus Intelligence Ltd, explores the threats and opportunities presented by the pandemic.

ANALYSIS: There's a common belief that cybercriminals are typically operating in organised crime groups, and are well rewarded for their efforts; but new research by Dr Roberto Musotto of Edith Cowan University and Professor David Wall of the University of Leeds suggests that in reality they are more like business workers, usually achieving relatively low returns.

OPINION: The balance between professional judgement in policing and following an ethical framework is a delicate one. However, Dr Emma Williams argues that too much focus on consistent professional standards can not only stifle discretion, but can lead to moral distress when officers find that guidance challenges their own moral judgements.