Operational policing

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.

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.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Uncovering the role of social media in the Southport riots and how open-source intelligence (OSINT) can combat misinformation and violent calls to action.

INNOVATION: Many police forces around the world are facing new and ever-changing challenges – both in the ‘real world’ and online – and efforts to implement community policing approaches face an increasingly complex landscape; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at a new European Commission initiative to help police and other agencies meet those challenges, leveraging social sciences methodologies as well as the latest technology.

INTERVIEW: Alex Finn, the National Police Chiefs’ Council digital youth engagement lead, spoke to Policing Insight’s Ian Weinfass about a UK project to engage young people on social media, and why he thinks it should be rolled out further.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: With an unprecedented focus on Artificial Intelligence and its positive use in supporting policing operations and increasing productivity, it is vital to ensure that the potential is combined with human expertise in order to tackle society’s challenges and win public trust. This latest Guide provides an insight into how the ethical use of AI can help inform decision-making and enhance public safety.

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: While law enforcement agencies around the world look at co-responder models and health partnerships to answer the growing demands of those in mental health crisis, new research from the US suggests that teaming up mental health clinicians with police officers to respond to behavioural health-related calls has no better outcome in terms of reducing arrests or improving treatment engagement than simply sending a uniformed officer, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: Author, journalist and former Police Scotland superintendent Martin Gallagher explores the links between organised crime, terrorism and state-sponsored violence – from Indian-backed assassination attempts on Canadian soil, to firebombs in UK and European warehouses, and the efforts of Irish crime groups and Northern Irish paramilitaries to cultivate links with Russia and Iran.

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.

FEATURE: A new Queensland Police Service (QPS) approach to responding to volume crimes which focuses on attendance by scenes of crime officers has seen an increase in evidence obtained from the scene while saving more than 180,000 hours for general duties officers, as QPS Senior Sergeants Lisa Weller and Josh White explained to delegates at the recent Global Evidence-Based Policing Conference.

ANALYSIS: The National Cabinet of the Australian Government has set out a $4.7 billion package of measures to tackle the “national crisis” of gender-based violence that has become “a source of national shame”, after a ‘rapid review’ of the potential prevention measures to end domestic, family and sexual violence highlighted not only a problem of “overwhelming” scale and complexity, but also “many areas ripe for meaningful reform”, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Leadership, knowledge and application are the fundamentals to continuous education and training across all policing fields, essential to keep updated on best practices, legal changes and evolving community needs. The Liverpool Centre for Advanced Policing Studies (LCAPS) offers a comprehensive learning portfolio featuring academic policing programs designed to equip police professionals with the essential skills needed to apply to the everchanging complex challenges of modern policing.

OPINION: Following the recent acquittal of a Metropolitan Police firearms officer charged with the murder of Chris Kaba, former Scottish police officer Graham Goulden, now an active bystander trainer, believes it’s now the time for policing to work closely with other agencies to focus more effectively on violence prevention, in an effort to reduce crime in communities and ensure fewer offers have to make such life-or-death decisions.

FEATURE: The latest report on the efforts of police forces in England and Wales to tackle antisocial behaviour has highlighted the need for more consistent resourcing for neighbourhood teams, better training for officers, and the need for improved IT and stronger partnerships to enhance data sharing with other agencies, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

OPINION: Forensic science plays a key role in solving crimes as well as overturning wrongful convictions, but recent studies suggest public trust in forensic science is declining for a range of reasons; University of the West of England Forensic Science Lecturer Dr Emmanuel Nsiah Amoako, who is part of a research project examining (dis)trust in forensic science, believes a “collaborative effort” from policing and scientists to listen and address public concerns will be essential if that lost trust is to be regained.

FEATURE: The EU’s Terrorist Content Online Regulation came into effect in June 2022, and included a requirement for media platforms and host service providers (HSPs) to take down terrorist content within an hour of receiving a removal order from a ‘competent authority’; but a new report suggests that a lack of technical expertise and awareness leaves many smaller HSPs struggling to comply with the Regulation, as Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth explains.

FEATURE: A review of the New South Wales Police response to those in mental health crisis has recommended that the force switch to the Right Care, Right Person model pioneered in the UK, after identifying that a law enforcement presence can often be an “escalating factor” for those experiencing a mental health crisis, while the over-reliance on a police response can increase risks and stretch resources, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

ANALYSIS: In the first of a two-part feature marking the 30th anniversary of police use of TASER, Policing Insight’s James Sweetland explores the global growth of this tool, what it offers policing, and concerns about racial disproportionality and use in mental health incidents – drawing on interviews with National Police Chiefs’ Council less-lethal weapons lead Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi, Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber, and others.

ANALYSIS: The final report of Australia’s Missing and murdered First Nations women and children inquiry has found that widespread racist attitudes across Australian policing, together with inadequate and delayed responses to reports of crimes, have led to a lack of trust among First Nations women in reporting domestic violence and other crimes – although several forces have now embarked on programmes to rebuild and improve the relationship with First Nations communities, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

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 compares and contrasts the use of AI drones as patrol tools and first responders with the traditional role of patrol cars, and explores the key issues around privacy, accountability and oversight.