ANALYSIS: Ten years after the pilot of the first Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS) in England and Wales, this vital safeguarding tool is now on the statute books; while other countries around the world have introduced similar schemes, Dr Katerina Hadjimatheou of Essex University believes the approaches adopted both in England and Wales and South Australia  around who can be given information, and when and how disclosures can be made, set an example for other countries to follow.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: This one day event, supported by Policing Insight as media partner, will be a mixture of briefing by keynote speakers and audience participation to obtain ideas and views on next step activity for the National Tutelage Service in 2023 and beyond. It is an exciting opportunity for some innovative thought and discussion to build on what is universally acknowledged as a highly effective roads policing intervention. Register to attend 19th April 2023 at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in Oxford.

FEATURE: Hampshire Constabulary’s new Policing PLUS entry route – which enables officers to join without a degree, and those on degree routes to transfer – has been hailed a “game changer” by the chief constable, while the police and crime commissioner believes it could “shape national plans”; but those opposed to moving away from mandatory degrees say returning to traditional police training is both regressive and nonsensical, as Policing Insight’s Keith Potter reports.

OPINION: The recent Casey Review of the UK’s Metropolitan Police Service focused mainly on the damning findings around behaviour and culture, with little mention of drugs; but former Police Scotland superintendent Martin Gallagher argues that the policing of drugs could be a key contributor to negative public perceptions and lower levels of trust in the force, and removing the drugs market from criminality could be the ‘huge and radical step’ required to help regain trust among London’s black community.

INTERVIEW: A traumatic experience early in Vernon Herron’s policing career gave him a personal insight into the services officers need to maintain their mental health and wellbeing; now he uses that experience, and many others gained during more than 30 years in policing, to ensure Baltimore PD officers have the right safety and wellness support, as he explained to Policing Insight’s Christine Townsend.

OPINION: This week’s damning Casey Review into the Metropolitan Police Service has highlighted major concerns over racism, misogyny and homophobia, the neglect of basic command units in favour of elite units, and a broken misconduct system; with calls from some quarters for the Met to be broken up, Police Foundation Director Rick Muir says it’s essential for the force to reinvent itself if it is to survive.

INNOVATION: Although the prevention element of policing is as old as the Peelian principles, Merseyside’s pioneering prevention strand is driving the message across the force to deliver real community benefits; Chief Constable Serena Kennedy (pictured) and Chief Superintendent Andy Ryan spoke to Policing Insight’s Keith Potter about the culture change required to embed the approach, and the successes that are already evident.

OPINION: Former Police Scotland Superintendent Martin Gallagher argues that the ‘war on drugs’ has largely failed and is drawing to an inevitable close; but he also believes that concerted efforts to divert current drug barons away from criminality, as well as clearly articulated international guidance of where drug policies should now go, will be essential if police and society are to successfully move forward.

FEATURE: As the discussion continues around the role of education and degrees within policing in the UK, the policing education qualifications framework (PEQF) has remained contentious; Dr Emma Williams and Jennifer Norman explore the current situation regarding the PEQF and police qualifications, and where the debate about professionalisation in policing goes from here.

ANALYSIS: In the third of a month-long series of articles celebrating International Women’s Day, Kendal Wright and Dr Keely Duddin of the Open University’s Policing Organisation and Practice Department share an insight into a ground-breaking study exploring women’s experiences of motherhood in the police.

FEATURE: UK national policing targets and league tables – supposedly scrapped by the Government more than a decade ago – now look set to return; Police Federation of England and Wales National Board Member David Bamber, and University of Sunderland Policing Lecturer Adrian Smiles, explore the previous impact of a target-driven culture on policing and the public sector, and what the consequences could be for today’s service.

FEATURE: A new Independent Public Advocate scheme which will work on behalf of victims and families bereaved by major disasters has been launched by the UK Government, to provide support and hold agencies including the police to account – although not all campaigners believe the new initiative goes far enough, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

OPINION: Recent high-profile sentencing hearings involving individuals responsible for the shooting murders of multiple victims in the US have brought the term ‘lone wolf’ back into the media focus; but Rutgers University Professor Alexander Hinton believes the term is misleading – with violent extremists almost always part of a pack – and its use could impede efforts to combat far-right extremist violence.

OPINION: Often overlooked as a concept or tagged on to other organisational functions such as HR, workforce planning should be recognised as a fundamental discipline for the health of a police force, and can provide solutions to the challenges of recruitment and retention and delivering preventative policing, as Jon Freegard of Skills for Justice explains.

OPINION: This year’s International Women’s Day has a clear focus on driving gender equality through innovation and technology change; Dr Sarah Jane Fox of the University of Leicester explains that while considerable progress has been made on gender equality in policing, much more needs to be done both in law enforcement and in society more widely to keep women safe and provide the same access and opportunities as men.

FEATURE: As specialists and stakeholders from the UK public safety communications sector gather for this week’s BAPCO annual conference and exhibition, PoliceBox CEO Simon Hall highlights the importance of interoperability in police IT systems, and explores whether ‘Integration Platform as a Service’ products could finally provide the solution to greater co-operation and collaboration.

FEATURE: In the last in The Police Student current series on Key Issues in Contemporary Policing, Policing Insight Academic Editor Dr Carina O’Reilly explores the crisis around police wellbeing and mental health, including the impact on officers of dealing with traumatic and stressful events, how changes to staffing levels, resources and opportunities for recovery have exacerbated welfare concerns, and what needs to be addressed going forwards.

FEATURE: Four pilots of Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) are now underway in England and Wales, but only in Merseyside are the powers being trialled force-wide; Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons spoke to Supt Phil Mullally about the impact of SVROs, the use of associated stop and search powers, and the potential for the orders to reduce violent crime.

ANALYSIS: Police officers and staff investigating child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE) are regularly exposed to traumatic images and videos; but following a survey of officers in 2022, and a conference for CSAE investigators earlier this year, Dr Theresa Redmond of the Policing Institute for the Eastern Region (PIER) highlights that it’s often the culture and work-based support around the officer, rather than the horrific imagery itself, that has the greatest impact on wellbeing.

INNOVATION: A 12-month trial which allows officers from Queensland Police Service to use body-worn cameras to record interviews with domestic violence victims that can then be used as evidence-in-chief has been hailed a success for reducing the trauma experienced by victim-survivors and enabling officers to re-invest more time providing support, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: The sixth national Mental Health and Policing conference, supported by Policing Insight, takes place 4-5 May 2023 at the Leonardo Hotel and Conference Venue, Hinckley Island. Register your place today!

FEATURE: In his latest annual report the Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner (BSCC) – who regulates the way police use biometrics in England, Wales and Northern Ireland – challenges how policing is deploying facial recognition; a separate survey by the Office of the BSCC also raises major concerns that policing is “shot through” with Chinese surveillance tech, as Policing Insight’s James Sweetland reports.

FEATURE: As stakeholders from across the criminal justice system gathered last month for a Met Police innovation hub to rebrand out-of-court disposals (OOCDs) ahead of the launch of new two-tier framework, it was confirmed that any new name for the measures would be likely to go out to public consultation to ensure that communities are given a voice, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: Against the backdrop of the public outcry over police criminality and misconduct, Psychologist Dr Heather Taylor argues that the key to reducing the risk of problematic workforce behaviours lies as much in the hands of thoughtful leadership and effective HR management as it does in a powerful culture of vetting checks and professional standards enforcement.