People development

OPINION: Body armour is essential kit for police officers, but ill-fitting vests that now carry additional equipment weight are causing significant health problems for those on the frontline; Zac Mader of the Police Federation of England and Wales argues that new lightweight, gender-specific body armour could address many of the lower back pain issues associated with existing equipment, a problem highlighted by physiotherapist Patrick Hoyte

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Now in it's sixth year, Women in Policing seeks to provide current and future leaders with the skills needed to correct this imbalance. The unique conference, supported by Policing Insight, explores the role of women in policing and offers practical advice and coaching on how to further develop your career in times of change. We will discuss together how we can manage the challenges of modern leadership and help ensure we don't lose momentum in recognising and rewarding female leaders in policing.

ANALYSIS: While the Baroness Casey Review was underway – a review which highlighted “toxic cultures” of sexism and racism in the force’s firearms unit – the National Police Chiefs’ Council commissioned its own UK-wide review of the role; Adrian James, Reader in Police Studies at Liverpool John Moores University and one of the authors of the subsequent report, says that similar issues around macho, sexist cultures and elitism are evident in police firearms teams across the country.

ANALYSIS: The consequences of labelling – both for citizens and for police – can be significant, particularly in relation to officers’ own perception of their role as guardians or a ‘warrior mindset’; Matthew Wood, a police constable with Toronto Police Service and part-time professor at the Seneca College School of Public Safety, explores these issues in relation to the ‘grey zone’ of law enforcement, the importance of police discretion, and what steps can be taken to improve policing outcomes.

INTERVIEW: Despite widely acknowledged challenges facing policing in the UK, and the ongoing debate around entry routes into the profession, a career keeping communities safe from crime, disorder and terrorism remains an attractive proposition for many young people; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth spoke to final-year Professional Policing undergraduate Megan Collins-Dale about her choice of degree qualification, and how a recent internship in the US has helped her prepare for a future in policing and criminal justice in the UK.

FEATURE: An autism passport scheme flags specific issues for individuals – both things that can help interaction, and things that can cause anxiety or stress – on the Guernsey Police records management system, raising real-time warnings and markers for control room operators and responding officers and improving outcomes for all involved, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

OPINION: South Africa is facing continued growth in violent crime, and reconfigured policing strategies designed to tackle the problem seem to have had little success; Stellenbosch University’s Dr Guy Lamb argues that a more collaborative approach from police working with local communities, and the proper funding and implementation of the country’s Integrated Crime and Violence Prevention Strategy, would be the most effective way forward.

FEATURE: The importance of forensics in police investigations cannot be overstated, and their increasingly crucial role has been one of the driving forces behind the recent launch of the Forensic Science Regulator’s Code of Practice; the role of forensics, and the understanding and implications of the new Code, were the key topics for discussion in a recent @WeCops online chat, hosted by Thames Valley Police Head of Forensics Kay Hannam, and Head of Forensic Accreditation, Caroline Rust.

FEATURE: After a tumultuous week in UK policing – one which saw tensions between the Met and national politicians dominate the headlines, followed by the eventual departure of Home Secretary Suella Braverman – Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley joined the Institute for Government to set out his plans to keep reform of the country’s largest police force on track, as Policing Insight’s James Sweetland reports.

FEATURE: A new report by a cross-party committee of UK MPs has described the need for policing to “repair its culture” in the face of increasingly complex demands and failures that have damaged confidence in the service as a “turning point for the police”, amid warnings that “marginal changes” will not be enough to improve services and rebuild public trust, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

OPINION: The UK’s neighbourhood policing focus has dwindled significantly over the past decade, as forces enduring funding cuts redirected resources towards response policing and emerging complex threats; University of East London Policing Professor John Coxhead argues that although the Uplift recruitment programme has led to an increase in the workforce, pledges to recruit a new wave of neighbourhood officers will see forces facing fresh challenges around building teams from scratch, and gaining the trust and confidence of communities.

OPINION: The recent adoption of the Right Care, Right Person approach to mental health responses by police forces across England and Wales has reignited the debate around policing’s role in such incidents; but as Research Fellow Dr Claire Warrington of the University of York explains, the issue has also highlighted the vulnerability of the police workforce to mental ill-health, and what can be done to meet those challenges.

FEATURE: In the latest in a new series of The Police Student focusing on Criminology in Policing, Policing Insight Academic Editor Dr Carina O’Reilly looks at labelling theory – who decides what a deviant act is, how individuals are defined as deviants or criminals, and what the consequences of that can be for the individuals themselves, as well as for the police.

INTERVIEW: In 2020, as Leicestershire Police prepared to greatly increase its officer numbers as part of the Uplift recruitment programme, leaders within the force set about trying to change attitudes, consideration of and delivery of training through the creation of the Team Leicestershire Academy; Policing Insight’s Ian Weinfass spoke to its head Sarah Taylor, and Chief Constable Rob Nixon, about the force’s new methods.

OPINION: Approaches and initiatives that improve police engagement with communities are acknowledged by many in policing as delivering real and long-term benefits, but when it comes to resourcing, are often regarded as ‘nice to haves’ rather than necessary; however, University of Portsmouth Policing Lecturer David Knowles – a specialist in engagement during his 30-year policing career – argues that such engagement is essential in building trust and confidence as well as tackling all levels of crime.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: The winners of the Inspire Justice Awards 2023, supported by Policing Insight, were revealed recently at a glittering awards ceremony held at the QEII Centre in Central London. The Inspire Justice Awards celebrates and shines a light on the wider justice workforce that keeps our criminal justice system running smoothly.

OPINION: Recent comments from Home Secretary Suella Braverman around the policing of the pro-Palestinian protests have once again called into question UK policing’s political independence; but former officer and University of Derby Policing Lecturer Tom Andrews argues that such independence has been largely illusionary in the past, and that a Royal Commission into policing is essential if such independence is to be guaranteed in the future.

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ANALYSIS: Over recent weeks all the UK’s main political parties have held their annual conferences – potentially the last major party gatherings that will be held before general election as well as police and crime commissioner elections in 2024; Policing Insight’s Thomas James looks back at the key speeches from the events to highlight the police and crime discussions taking place, and the calls and commitments shared with delegates around law and order.

OPINION: With UK policing facing a decline in public trust and confidence, officer morale hitting new lows, and a seemingly endless barrage of bad news and attacks from the media, Edge Hill University Senior Policing Lecturer Owen West, a former chief superintendent, believes the time is right for a unified staff association for the profession of policing to advocate on behalf of the service and reclaim the strategic narrative.

INTERVIEW: As with many other police forces, Queensland Police Service (QPS) is looking to improve the representation of female officers across the workforce; new research from QPS Detective Chief Inspector Mike Newman suggests that instilling more confidence in female officers, and addressing inherent biases in selection processes, will be crucial in ensuring female officers progress through the ranks at the same rate as their male counterparts, as he explained to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

ANALYSIS: With ongoing concerns around the drop in public trust and confidence in UK policing, forces face continuing pressure to ensure they are representative of the communities they serve; but a new report suggests that gender bias in the language used in police recruitment advertising may be deterring applicants at the first hurdle, as Richard Place, Managing Director of police recruitment website All Police Jobs, explains.

INTERVIEW: Policing Insight’s Ian Weinfass spoke to HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland, Craig Naylor, about how he approaches his role at the inspectorate, the challenges in Police Scotland as it turns 10 years old, and the similarities and differences with policing and the inspectorate in England and Wales.

ANALYSIS: New international research on the approach by policing and industry to rural crime has highlighted the multi-million-dollar impact on farms and countryside communities often overlooked by law enforcement; Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons spoke to Dr Kyle Mulrooney of the University of New England and Inspector Oliver Fisher of Sussex Police about the steps that can be taken to improve prevention and response for farmers and rural communities.