FEATURE: In her latest report the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, Baroness Newlove, has highlighted concerns around delays caused by the strain on the justice system, the continuing plight of victims of antisocial behaviour, and the need for victims of all crimes to be listened to, rather than “talked at”, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

ANALYSIS: New research from the University of Calgary shows that three-quarters of men charged with domestic violence (DV) have already interacted with police at least once, with two thirds showing a clear trajectory of increasing police interactions in the lead up to their DV charge; Associate Professor Lana Wells believes this data around perpetrators offers an opportunity to intervene early and prevent the escalation of violence.

FEATURE: In her latest report the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, Baroness Newlove, has highlighted concerns around delays caused by the strain on the justice system, the continuing plight of victims of antisocial behaviour, and the need for victims of all crimes to be listened to, rather than “talked at”, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: A recent report by RAND Europe on behalf of the Ministry of Justice has highlighted a lack of experience and training among police officers among the main challenges in improving the use of out-of-court disposals (OOCDs) for adults with health vulnerabilities in England and Wales, and has also created a series of guides and a data collection prototype tool to enable forces to implement OOCDs more effectively, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: With all police forces facing budget constraints, improving efficiencies and ensuring value for money are constant drivers; Mark Dewell, SVP at business software firm OneAdvanced, explains how working with West Mercia Police to bring staff uniform procurement in-house has resulted in costs savings, improved service, and greater DEI support for the workforce.

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.

LONG READ: A record number of police forces in England and Wales have been put into special measures (formally known as ‘Engage’) over the past three years – but what does Engage mean, and how do forces move out of it? Policing Insight’s James Sweetland spoke to HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary Andy Cooke, as well as two Chief Constables who have led their forces out of special measures – Staffordshire’s Chris Noble and Wiltshire’s Catherine Roper – to find out more.

FEATURE: As the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC), Ireland’s independent policing oversight body, prepares for its transition to the new Fiosrú – Oifig an Ombudsman Póilíneachta, the latest and final GSOC annual report highlights the efforts well underway for a smooth changeover, and the importance of ensuring the Fiosrú has adequate resources – particularly specialist staff – to fulfil its mandate, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: A report by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland has praised Police Scotland’s “robust and effective” response to missing persons, with the national multi-agency framework driven by the force described as a “particular strength”; but inspectors have also called for more to be done “to ensure that clear leadership and strategic direction is in place”, raise awareness among officers and partners, and address technical and resource challenges, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

ANALYSIS: New research from the University of Calgary shows that three-quarters of men charged with domestic violence (DV) have already interacted with police at least once, with two thirds showing a clear trajectory of increasing police interactions in the lead up to their DV charge; Associate Professor Lana Wells believes this data around perpetrators offers an opportunity to intervene early and prevent the escalation of violence.

FEATURE: A recent report by RAND Europe on behalf of the Ministry of Justice has highlighted a lack of experience and training among police officers among the main challenges in improving the use of out-of-court disposals (OOCDs) for adults with health vulnerabilities in England and Wales, and has also created a series of guides and a data collection prototype tool to enable forces to implement OOCDs more effectively, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: Senior police leaders in England and Wales are drafting guidance on governance for the hundreds of staff networks for the first time, but their efforts to establish a consistent framework have already drawn criticism from some groups, and the potential of a legal challenge, as Ian Weinfass reports.

ANALYSIS: In the fourth in a series of five articles looking at the big debates in police use of facial recognition (FR), extracted from this year’s ‘Facing the future: The rise of facial recognition in policing’ report, Policing Insight’s James Sweetland explores the crucial issue of privacy and intrusion – which goes to the very heart of the FR debate – and looks at the absence of legislation around FR, with much of the early oversight coming from privacy regulators.

FEATURE: A report by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland has praised Police Scotland’s “robust and effective” response to missing persons, with the national multi-agency framework driven by the force described as a “particular strength”; but inspectors have also called for more to be done “to ensure that clear leadership and strategic direction is in place”, raise awareness among officers and partners, and address technical and resource challenges, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

ANALYSIS: In the fourth in a series of five articles looking at the big debates in police use of facial recognition (FR), extracted from this year’s ‘Facing the future: The rise of facial recognition in policing’ report, Policing Insight’s James Sweetland explores the crucial issue of privacy and intrusion – which goes to the very heart of the FR debate – and looks at the absence of legislation around FR, with much of the early oversight coming from privacy regulators.

INNOVATION: There is much debate about the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in surveillance (both in policing and other sectors), and the public’s response to that deployment; researcher, lecturer, and Sheffield Hallam University PhD candidate Yasmine Ezzeddine argues that latest research suggests the public are already adapting to the growing use of AI – and rather than saying “no”, are urging for “not so fast”.

FEATURE: A recent report by RAND Europe on behalf of the Ministry of Justice has highlighted a lack of experience and training among police officers among the main challenges in improving the use of out-of-court disposals (OOCDs) for adults with health vulnerabilities in England and Wales, and has also created a series of guides and a data collection prototype tool to enable forces to implement OOCDs more effectively, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth explores the findings of a new report from the Dublin-based Enhancing Faith Institutions consultancy, which highlights the increase in crimes against all religious communities and places of worship in Europe in the 12 months since the tragic attack in Israel on 7 October, and the subsequent devastating loss of life and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.