OPINION: Despite the fall in crime rates overall in Britain, the continuing public perception is one of an increasingly lawless country; Patrick Olajide, a Senior Researcher in Crime, Justice and Security at the National Centre for Social Research, believes those fears are being fuelled by traditional news media outlets painting an incomplete, distorted and – at worst – dishonest picture of crime and justice in the UK, which has a damaging impact both on communities and those working within the criminal justice system.

FEATURE: Cybercriminals are increasingly using stolen credentials and exploiting legitimate tools and native access to “log in, instead of breaking in”, blend into their target’s environment and carry out ‘living off the land’ (LOTL) attacks; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the nature of LOTL attacks, and why all organisations – including police and law enforcement agencies – should remove all unnecessary files, applications and systems to reduce their attack surface to such threats.

FEATURE: A report by the London Drugs Commission has called for the policing of cannabis to switch from the Misuse of Drugs Act to the newer Psychoactive Substances Act, enabling police to target production and supply of while not penalising its possession; but the report authors but the authors also argue that any immediate further liberalisation of the law would be “unjustifiable and irresponsible”, as it would carry too great a risk, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

ANALYSIS: Bail reform was hotly debated topic during Canada’s recent federal election, and with several serious offences – including the murder of an Ontario police officer – committed by offenders who were on bail, it remains a talking point for many of those involved in the criminal justice system; Policing Insight’s Matthew Wood looks at the background to the debate, the views of various stakeholders, and the prospects of significant reform in the coming months.

INNOVATION: An updated National Policing Digital Strategy for forces across the UK has called for greater government investment in new policing technology, a commitment from forces to modernise “local ways of working” and follow the blueprints set out nationally, and a push for “capturing, cleaning, managing, using, and sharing data at all levels” if the service is to grasp the “once-in-a generation opportunity to deliver significant, tangible change” offered by technology advances, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

OPINION: While the recent Government Spending Review left many chief constables, forces and police and crime commissioners in England and Wales saying the increase in police spending wasn’t enough, University of Leeds Professor of Crime Science Graham Farrell argues that more money and more officers doesn’t always lead to a fall in crime, with crime prevention and reducing crime opportunities by working with businesses, suppliers and manufacturers often a more effective approach.

OPINION: After significant optimism about the reform of policing in South Africa following the first democratic elections in 1994, the country’s police service has becoming increasingly politicised and under the control of ANC insiders, argues the University of Pretoria’s Dr Ivor Chipkin, with devastating results both for public trust and crime rates.

OPINION: In the latest in a regular series of articles from the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC), Avon and Somerset PCC Clare Moody, the APCC’s joint lead on victims and violence against women and girls (VAWG), sets out some of the latest developments in the continuing efforts to significantly reduce VAWG, support victims, and find solutions to a society-wide problem – while reiterating calls for stable, long-term funding to get the job done.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: The Australian Institute of Professional Intelligence Officers (AIPIO) conference is back in Sydney 20-22 August with the theme of a "A Thriving Intelligence Profession". Find out more and sign up today!

OPINION: After significant optimism about the reform of policing in South Africa following the first democratic elections in 1994, the country’s police service has becoming increasingly politicised and under the control of ANC insiders, argues the University of Pretoria’s Dr Ivor Chipkin, with devastating results both for public trust and crime rates.

FEATURE: While a new report suggests An Garda Siochána officers are still reluctant to engage with service-backed support systems for fear of being stigmatised, one member of the service is “filling the void” by providing free workshops promoting healthy lifestyles through a holistic approach covering issues including nutrition, sleep, exercise, emotional and mental health, stress management and resilience, as Gard Stephen O’Connor explained to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

FEATURE: A new report from the Scottish Institute for Policing Research has highlighted concerns that officers in public protection roles often mask their true feelings through ‘emotional labour’ – supressing their own personal emotions in order to display organisationally desired ones – and often won’t seek help because of the stigma surrounding mental health, leaving them at risk of long-term emotional and psychological damage, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: While a new report suggests An Garda Siochána officers are still reluctant to engage with service-backed support systems for fear of being stigmatised, one member of the service is “filling the void” by providing free workshops promoting healthy lifestyles through a holistic approach covering issues including nutrition, sleep, exercise, emotional and mental health, stress management and resilience, as Gard Stephen O’Connor explained to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

FEATURE: A new report from the Scottish Institute for Policing Research has highlighted concerns that officers in public protection roles often mask their true feelings through ‘emotional labour’ – supressing their own personal emotions in order to display organisationally desired ones – and often won’t seek help because of the stigma surrounding mental health, leaving them at risk of long-term emotional and psychological damage, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

INNOVATION: To address key areas of crime and vulnerability, UK constabularies can use visual analysis software to pull together data from myriad sources for the prevention of harm, the detection of crime, and the identification of risk; Seth Cooke, a former Avon and Somerset Police intelligence analyst and now i2 Group technical and tradecraft specialist, explains how this technology powerfully supports approaches to knife crime, antisocial behaviour, and violence against women and girls.

FEATURE: The latest Europol Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA) highlights the growing threat of cyber criminals – many of them inexperienced – using ‘cybercrime-as-a-service’ platforms to steal and trade data and digital information, and attempt to hold large commercial organisations as well as individuals to ransom, as Policing Insight’s Chris Allen reports.

FEATURE: While a new report suggests An Garda Siochána officers are still reluctant to engage with service-backed support systems for fear of being stigmatised, one member of the service is “filling the void” by providing free workshops promoting healthy lifestyles through a holistic approach covering issues including nutrition, sleep, exercise, emotional and mental health, stress management and resilience, as Gard Stephen O’Connor explained to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

OPINION: Despite the fall in crime rates overall in Britain, the continuing public perception is one of an increasingly lawless country; Patrick Olajide, a Senior Researcher in Crime, Justice and Security at the National Centre for Social Research, believes those fears are being fuelled by traditional news media outlets painting an incomplete, distorted and – at worst – dishonest picture of crime and justice in the UK, which has a damaging impact both on communities and those working within the criminal justice system.