Operational policing

ANALYSIS: Reports of ‘deaths following police contact’ often include instances of individuals being restrained, but for anyone suffering from Acute Behavioural Disturbance (ABD), such an approach can prove fatal; former Kent Police Sergeant Darren Moor outlines the key indicators of ABD, the steps officers can take to ensure medical support is available, and what to do if restraint is unavoidable.

LONG READ: In February, leading police officers were joined by law enforcement stakeholders, suppliers and academics for a one-day round table on transforming police public contact, organised by policy advice and strategic development organisation Cityforum; in this report – based on contributions made at the round table – independent policing consultant Nick Gargan, who chaired one of the event sessions, explores the key issues including addressing public expectations, the increasing shift to digital channels, and the options for improving service delivery.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Presented by the Australia and New Zealand Police Commissioners and supported by Policing Insight as media partner, this two day conference will bring together police personnel and the law enforcement community and industry to explore how partnerships can improve community safety.

FEATURE: Several European countries have experienced the devastating effects of often low-tech fatal terrorist attacks on public spaces such as shopping malls, concert halls and city squares; now a new EU-funded project involving police, public safety stakeholders and the private sector aims to develop innovative security measures using artificial intelligence (AI) and integrated technologies to make public spaces more secure, as Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth reports.

FEATURE: The authors of a new report – the second in a series of five on policing ‘seldom-heard groups’ published by Police Scotland, the Scottish Institute for Policing Research and the Scottish Police Authority – have highlighted greater visibility and engagement, better cultural awareness and more funding among the key steps to building better relationships between Police Scotland and refugee and asylum seeker communities, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

INNOVATION: In a ground-breaking Lincolnshire Police initiative, the first Indirect Victim Support Officer is now offering help, advice and guidance to the partners and children of online child sexual abuse material (CSAM) offenders left devastated by their family member’s activities; PC Tom Scott spoke to Policing Insight’s Keith Potter about closing the gap in support, delivering on the duty of care, and bringing benefits for policing.

INTERVIEW: With Warwickshire Police enjoying record officer numbers following the recent Uplift recruitment programme, and a strategic alliance with neighbouring West Mercia ending, the force took the decision to remodel its workforce and operations; Deputy Chief Constable Alex Franklin-Smith spoke to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons about the aims for performance improvements, and how the changes could future-proof the service to the public.

OPINION: Three Ontario Provincial Police officers involved in the fatal shooting of an 18-month-old baby and his father are shortly due to stand trial for manslaughter; Adjunct Professor Patrick G Watson, Postdoctoral Fellow Carmen Nave and PhD Candidate T Sidhu believe that aside from holding officers accountable for their actions, such trials are also positive mechanisms that allow for public scrutiny of the use-of-force training, policies and practices of police forces.

FEATURE: The new National Fraud Strategy has been welcomed by many, especially as the last full national plan expired back in 2011; but alongside the resources the new strategy provides – including 400 investigators and a new reporting service – it comes with a tough target to cut fraud offences by 10% in just over two years, as Policing Insight’s James Sweetland reports.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: LEPH2023 Europe (21-24 May, supported by Policing Insight as media partner, is the first regional European conference exploring the complex and diverse intersections of law enforcement and public health, involving practitioners, policy makers and researchers from these and other related sectors. It carries on the international LEPH conference series, with an opportunity to focus on key regional issues.

INTERVIEW: Having taken up a role in the private sector after a lengthy and successful career in the United States Secret Service, Kim Cheatle returned to the agency as its Director last summer, with a glowing endorsement from President Joe Biden; she recently spoke to Policing Insight’s Christine Townsend about her passion for the job, her admiration for her colleagues, and the partnerships being built by the Secret Service to tackle new and emerging crimes and threats.

OPINION: Online child sexual abuse activity has reached staggeringly high levels and increasing depravity; ahead of this month’s Policing Institute for the East Region (PIER) conference on tackling online harms, Simon Bailey, former Chief Constable of Norfolk and now PIER Chair, argues that a whole system approach to the issue – including education and regulation – is essential, as is the better use of technology by law enforcement.

INTERVIEW: In the latest in a series of interviews with leading figures involved in the research and investigation of organised crime, Policing Insight’s Chris Allen spoke to former police superintendent Colin Carswell, Director of the Counter Trafficking Network, about his investigations into large-scale human trafficking as a police officer, the importance of partnership working, and the need to ‘follow the money’ to combat organised crime.

ANALYSIS: The policing of public protest in France over the past decade has been characterised by both stronger use of force and tougher penal tools against protesters; Professor Jacques de Maillard and Dr Aurélien Restelli argue that an apparent ‘softening’ of approach has failed to materialise, with recent pension protests prompting more aggressive policing methods, and little sign that de-escalation techniques are likely to be employed.

OPINION: The increasing demands on policing to respond to those in mental health crises are creating significant burdens on police resources, and a potentially inadequate service to the public; Vernon White, former Chief of Police for Ottawa Police Service and Senator in the Canadian Parliament, and Joe Carlebach, former Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health at Hammersmith and Fulham Council, believe the solution is to address the systemic problems in mental health care rather than more training for police officers.

FEATURE: A police officer who endured years of sexual abuse is working to establish a network of victim survivor ambassadors across police forces in England and Wales to improve the service delivered to victims of sexual abuse and violence; Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons spoke to the City of London’s PC Jon-Jay Needham about the benefits the independent advocate could deliver both for victims and policing.

FEATURE: A new approach to traffic policing is applying the evidence-based principles of the Cambridge Crime Harm Index to target serious traffic collision hot spots in Cumbria; Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons spoke to Sgt Jack Stabler of Cumbria Constabulary about the thinking behind the new Road Harm Index, and the benefits the initiative could bring for police, partners and the public.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Digital transformation is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in policing – from data analytics and mobile workforce optimization to online citizen engagement and investigations. But when it comes to delivering on the promise of digital transformation, one technology that police departments are embracing in growing numbers is cloud-based DEMS (Digital Evidence Management System). This article explores 12 powerful ways that DEMS is transforming policing, from crime to justice.

OPINION: A new report into the policing of the 2022 occupation of parliamentary grounds in Wellington describes a largely successful operation with a positive outcome; but Professors Alexander Gillespie and Claire Breen of the University of Waikato warn that while policing has moved on significantly since previous high-profile demonstrations, there is still room for improvement around practice, equipment, legislation, and ensuring police independence.

ANALYSIS: The Mendéz Principles build on interviewing models in England and Wales to offer a global standard for effective interviewing practices that ensure non-coercive methods and procedural safeguards; ahead of next month’s conference on the subject at the Canterbury Centre for Policing Research (CCPR), Policing Lecturer James Harris and CCPR Director Dr Martin O’Neill explore the background to the principles, and the development of techniques and lessons drawn from UK cases.

OPINION: This weekend’s coronation of HM King Charles III is likely to be the largest deployment in peace time of uniformed officers on the streets of London; Policing Insight’s Graham Wettone, who served in the Met Police for 30 years, looks at the challenges of the day – both for those policing the route, and for those maintaining public order and community safety away from the event – as well as the unique opportunity such an operation offers.

OPINION: As he approaches his retirement, Deputy Chief Constable Ian Critchley, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for child protection, reflects on 30 years spent in policing, and in particular the work he has done to combat child abuse in all forms.

LONG READ: Humberside Police’s Right Care, Right Person (RCRP) initiative has transformed how the force handles mental health incidents, freeing up officers to focus on fighting crime – and with RCRP set to roll out nationwide, policing’s approach to these incidents is about to change significantly; but there’s a more complex story to tell about policing’s role in mental health work, as Policing Insight’s James Sweetland reports.

OPINION: The Macpherson Report into the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence made many recommendations around improving the police response, including ensuring the availability of dedicated, trained family liaison officers (FLOs) at a local level; Professor Fiona Brookman of South Wales University looks at how this role has now become an integral part of policing, and what more can be done to ensure forces are making best use of FLOs.