Investigation

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INNOVATION: In the latest in a series of articles exploring the opportunities and challenges presented to police by the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI), Chief Philip Lukens explores the application of AI by motor manufacturers and corporations to monitor vehicle use and driver behaviour, and how this could aid police investigations while also exposing law enforcement to accusations of overreach.

INNOVATION: The UK’s first team dedicated to investigating crimes committed by registered sex offenders, launched by Greater Manchester Police initially as a pilot project more than two years ago, has now hit a 90% solved outcome rate for investigations, and has become a permanent part of the force structure, as unit head DI Marc Baker told Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

INTERVIEW: The Chair of the Virtual Global Taskforce – the organisation now consisting of 15 law enforcement agencies tackling online child sexual exploitation – passed from the UK’s National Crime Agency to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in November; Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons spoke to AFP Commander Helen Schneider about the goals for the Taskforce over the next three years, and why identifying AI deepfakes and protecting the wellbeing of police investigators will be among the priorities.

ANALYSIS: In the wake of the media outcry over Essex Police’s investigation of online comments by a Daily Telegraph journalist, Policing Insight’s Ian Wiggett looks at the history of non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs), their impact on policing, and the effects of the code of practice introduced in 2023.

FEATURE: Dyfed-Powys Police has become the latest force to implement an Evidence-Based Investigation Tool that uses algorithms to forecast which crimes are more likely to be solved as well as those for which further investigation is unlikely to yield a result – enabling forces to focus their resources more effectively, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: A new Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan launched in the UK by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the Crown Prosecution Service commits police and prosecutors to work together more effectively and at earlier stages of investigations in order to increase successful judicial outcomes as well as improving the service to victims, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

ANALYSIS: Fraud accounts for a huge proportion of crime in the UK as well as other countries, with romance fraud particularly prevalent – and having significant impacts on victims over and above financial losses; Aston University Senior Lecturer Dr Rasha Kassem, an expert in fraud, explores the methods of those perpetrating romance frauds, the impacts on victims, and what police officers can do to combat the crime as well as provide support and reassurance.

ANALYSIS: The latest survey of survivors of rape and sexual assault into their experiences of the response by police in England and Wales has found that overall, Operation Soteria is improving the service delivered, but still only 40% of victims would report another sexual offence because of a lack of trust – although a series of simple steps could dramatically improve that reporting rate, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

ANALYSIS: Researchers at Europol have identified the challenges created by the enhanced privacy levels offered through home routing – a service established as part of the introduction and expansion of 5G – which could leave law enforcement agencies unable to undertake lawful interception of calls, messages and other data, as Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth reports.

FEATURE: Twelve years ago this month the planned suicide bombing of a US airport by an employee fuelled by online extremist content was successfully thwarted by the FBI, in what became a benchmark for covert insider threat operations; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks back at the Terry Lee Loewen case, and also at ongoing work to develop a strategy to help businesses detect and deter potential internal hostile actors.

INNOVATION: With domestic abuse (DA) now recognised as a policing priority for UK forces, a new approach to tackling the issue has been launched by Dyfed Powys Police, with neighbourhood policing teams adopting the 4Ps model (prepare, protect, prevent, pursue) usually associated with terrorism and organised crime to provide an improved service to medium-risk DA victims and target offenders more effectively, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: With cuckooing – the exploitation of vulnerable people by drug gangs who take over their home – not currently classified by the Home Office as a specific crime, the true scale of the problem in the UK remains unclear; Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons spoke to North-West Regional County Lines Co-ordinator DI Adam Norton, and Intelligence Analyst and PhD candidate Ruth Lewin, about the nature of the crime, and what more can be done to identify and improve support for victims while also strengthening enforcement.

INTERVIEW: Ahead of the upcoming Investigator Wellbeing Week of Action, Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons spoke to Sarah-Jayne Bray, Programme Manager for the National Police Chiefs’ Council Recruitment, Retention and Wellbeing of Investigator Programme, and researchers Dr Liam Curran and Mark Dimelow, about the pressures and stressors facing senior investigating officers (SIOs), and what individuals and forces can do to improve SIO wellbeing.

FEATURE: In the second article in a new chapter of The Police Student series, Policing Insight Academic Editor Dr Carina O'Reilly explores the role of policing within the wider criminal justice system, including the craft of policing, the importance and impact of discretion, and policing's relationship with the Crown Prosecution Service.

INTERVIEW: With almost half of police forces in England and Wales having adopted and implemented the Operation Soteria model to tackle rape and serious sexual offences, Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons spoke to City University of London Professor Katrin Hohl and Avon and Somerset Chief Constable Sarah Crew about the continuing roll out of the programme, the expansion of the approach to address domestic abuse, and concerns that an end to funding could threaten the progress already made.

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ANALYSIS: In this first 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 spoke to senior officers and police leaders to understand exactly how FR is a useful tool in policing’s arsenal, and why it is often described as making a significant difference to public safety.

ANALYSIS: New research from the University of Liverpool working with three English police forces has highlighted that officers’ unmanageable workloads, insufficient training and lack of understanding of digitally enabled coercive control are leading to missed opportunities in investigating potential perpetrators and protecting victim-survivors, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Faced with digital evidence management challenges, South Yorkshire Police Force launched its Technology Enabled Change initiative to find a solution. The force initiated a competitive procurement process, and after lengthy vetting, selected NICE Investigate to help in their quest to digitally transform investigations and evidence management.

INNOVATION: New 360-degree camera technology is enabling jurors, lawyers and investigators to get a better, more immersive understanding of crime scenes, while also providing video tours with audio commentary to explain key locations of interest, as DC Simon Chamberlain explained to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

ANALYSIS: New research by Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) based on interviews with more than 40 investigators across five forces in England and Wales has highlighted the lack of experience and mentoring, high workload, and unequal rewards facing detectives, leaving officers frustrated and victims receiving a poorer service, as LJMU Research Director Dr Adrian James told Policing Insight’s Ian Weinfass.

ANALYSIS: Fraud makes up nearly 40% of all crime in England and Wales, but fewer than 1% of cases result in a conviction. With the National Fraud Strategy more than a year old and a new government in place at Westminster, Ian Weinfass spoke to experts to find out whether it is time for action against fraudsters to be stepped up.

INTERVIEW: Following the publication of the recent UK violence against women and girls (VAWG) National Policing Statement, ACC Sam Millar, Strategic Programme Director of the VAWG Taskforce, spoke to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons about re-shaping the service to victims, the need for greater collaboration and a whole system approach, and the importance of supporting front-line staff investigating often high-harm offences.