Operational policing

FEATURE: A recent conference focusing on sexual offending, vulnerability and policing saw calls for senior police and academics to take a “pracademic” approach to child sexual exploitation, described as a “public health crisis” for the current generation of children and young people, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

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.

ANALYSIS: The changing nature of the modern terrorist threat has meant that the UK government’s response has also had to evolve; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the background to the UK’s CONTEST strategy, it’s political and policing inputs and implications, and how the strategy has evolved to meet that changing threat.

INNOVATION: A successful pilot project using artificial intelligence to support call handlers answering domestic abuse calls in Humberside Police – which increased both officer and public safety, improved evidence and reduced staff stress – could now be applied to other crime types within the force as well as being scaled up nationally, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: Large-scale events such as the annual Eurovision Song Contest are a key part of the modern cultural fabric, and require complex co-ordination to overcome traditional and emerging threats; Dr Rebecca Phythian and Dr Michael Smith of Edge Hill University researched the multi-agency approaches to the Eurovision events in Liverpool and Malmö, interviewing partners including police, local authorities and event organisers to identify key learning for future events.

ANALYSIS: The public disorder that took place across cities and towns in the UK at the start of August was the worst seen for several years, and prompted concerns over the police ability to respond, and the tactics employed; Policing Insight’s Graham Wettone, a former police officer and a subject matter expert on public order and protest groups, looks at the events of the past month, the evolution of public order policing, and what other options may be available to forces.

FEATURE: Against the backdrop of the recent foiled terror plot to attack the Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, Policing Insight’s Andy Staniforth looks at the latest EU counter-terrorism project designed to strengthen the protection of public spaces from attacks and major violent incidents, and mitigate their impact.

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.  

OPINION: The recent HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services report into the Metropolitan Police Service made difficult reading, with the force graded as less than adequate in seven out of eight performance areas; author and former Met Chief Superintendent John Sutherland believes that for the force to recover, there needs to be greater understanding and acknowledgement of the reasons behind the current crisis.

OPINION: Amid concerns that the recent riots in the UK were fuelled by misinformation spread on social media, some have questioned whether the Online Safety Act passed last year needs to be revisited; however, Associate Professor Dr Olivia Brown and Postdoctoral Researcher Dr Alicia Cork of the University of Bath argue that with parts of the Act not due to come into effect until late 2024, the effectiveness of the legislation won’t be fully understood until it has been tested in another situation like the recent riots.

ANALYSIS: Faced with austerity cuts, the Metropolitan Police opted for a programme of station closures rather than reducing officer numbers; recent research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies suggest the approach has led to more violent crime and lower rates of solved cases and crime reporting, as report author Professor Elisa Facchetti explained to Policing Insight’s James Sweetland.

INNOVATION: Advances in the application of artificial intelligence and other new technology have huge potential for transforming the criminal justice system in areas such as video redaction, risk assessment and forensic biotechnology; Simon Randall, CEO of privacy and security specialists Pimloc, explores some of those opportunities to increase effectiveness, as well as the challenges the new tech presents.

OPINION: While attempts to tackle the issue of illegal drugs through decriminalisation in the US and Canada have been less than successful, former Police Scotland Superintendent Martin Gallagher argues that as traditional enforcement measures have failed, it’s time for a bolder approach to drug use and consumption, with regulating, legitimising and taxing supply a crucial step towards true change and rehabilitation.

ANALYSIS: Many cities and towns across the US facing worrying levels of gun violence are turning to the ShotSpotter gunshot detection technology to help tackle the problem; however, research carried out by Northeastern University Professor Dr Eric Piza indicates that while the new tech can improve the response time to firearms incidents, it has no impact on enforcement levels, clear-up rates, or reducing victimisation.

OPINION: With falling trust and confidence in UK policing increasingly a matter for public debate and media headlines, University of Hull Policing Degree Programme Director and former officer Mike McKue looks more closely at the some of the reasons behind the decline, the definitions and differences between the two terms, and what can be done to address the issues.

FEATURE: Recent riots across many towns and cities in the UK saw a number of mosques targeted by violent protestors; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the situation facing both faith communities and the police in the UK, as well as the European project established by a collaboration of police forces looking to improve safety and security measures for places of worship.

ANALYSIS: The riots and public disorder which have affected towns and cities across the UK during recent weeks took place against a backdrop of populist politics and a change in protest tactics; Dr Wendy Laverick, Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Policing at the University of Hull, and Wrexham Glyndwr University Visiting Professor of Criminology Dr Peter Joyce, explore the political background to the disorder, the protest tactics of the far right, and possible solution to this and other disorder in the future.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: In today’s intricate financial landscape, uncovering financial crime is more crucial than ever. Fundamentally, it’s a network problem: diving into the intricate web of ownership structures, often extending through multiple levels and involving numerous entities.

INTERVIEW: The first Police Now counter-terrorism (CT) graduate scheme officially launched earlier this year, with new officers set to enter CT roles within the Metropolitan Police in just two years; in the second of a two-part series, Policing Insight’s James Sweetland spoke with trainees on the programme to find out what attracted them to Police Now, their perceptions of policing, and what new skills they think they can offer CT policing.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: With the technology at our disposal being more predictive, fast and accurate than ever before, there is a huge opportunity to revert to a mission that has accidentally been sidestepped in recent years. Can and should equal attention be paid towards the offender and prevention?

FEATURE: Officers across England and Wales investigating complex child sexual abuse and exploitation cases have been encouraged to access free specialist advice and support from the national Hydrant Programme during their investigations, to improve the outcomes for victims and survivors, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

ANALYSIS: The recent public disorder in the UK that has left more than 100 police officers injured and communities in towns and cities badly damaged has been labelled as ‘far-right thuggery’ by the Government and ‘far-right riots’ in the media; but Professor Chris Allen of the University of Leicester warns that labelling such protests as ‘far right’ could be inaccurate, misleading, and potentially counter-productive.

ANALYSIS: The continuing and co-ordinated public disorder across the UK has brought renewed calls for more extreme responses from police, including the use of water cannons and turning to the Army; former chief superintendent and specialist in public order policing Owen West, now a Senior Policing Lecturer at Edge Hill University, argues that while those measures may not be effective, there are steps that forces can take to strengthen public order policing in the short to medium term.

OPINION: Against a backdrop of rapid technological advancement, societal change, and the need for continuous improvement, Canterbury Christ Church University Senior Lecturer in Policing, Dr David Lydon, argues that incorporating futurists into policing could redefine approaches to public safety, enhance community trust, and empower police personnel to navigate the future operating environment with confidence and foresight.