Weekly academic research summary
LATEST RESEARCH: This summary curates the key policing-related research that's been published online in the last week, with links to the original journal articles, and selected abstracts.
Research
Criminal goals: How organised crime’s sporting gains match those from drugs and people trafficking
ANALYSIS: For millions of people across the globe, sport is life – and for many others corruption is also part and parcel of the daily routine; Policing Insight’s Chris Allen looks at the intersection between the two, and examines new research that shows how organised criminals have infiltrated sport at every level.
Policing and mental health: On the outside, looking in
FEATURE: The growing demands placed on police officers are contributing to increasing levels of mental ill-health within the service, yet research has highlighted the continuing stigma around asking for support with mental health problems; British Transport Police Temporary Special Sergeant Shawny Dixon, who is currently studying for her MSc in Policing and Law Enforcement Leadership, looks at some of the existing research around the issue, and what the service could be doing to tackle the problem.
From academia to reality: Improving the response to honour-based abuse, forced marriage and FGM
ANALYSIS: The police recognition of and response to honour-based abuse, forced marriage and female genital mutilation, while well intentioned, regularly fails to provide adequate support for victims; Jennifer Holton, Citizens in Policing Manager for Wiltshire Police, draws on her own experience and research into the issues (including her Master’s thesis) to highlight key challenges and opportunities for change.
Calling all police cybersecurity innovators: Improving threat monitoring and intrusion detection
INNOVATION: The latest cybersecurity research and innovation opportunities published under the Horizon Europe programme offer police forces the chance to improve operational cyber monitoring and threat detection; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the opportunities available, and encourages UK forces to make the most of the funding available to strengthen security and detection through collaboration with EU partners.
Expanding ‘4Es’ approach and investing in neighbourhood policing among key lessons in pandemic report
Policing and the pandemic
FEATURE: The latest report on the policing of the pandemic in the UK has suggested expanding the ‘4Es’ approach to other law enforcement activities, investing the additional capability from Operation Uplift into neighbourhood policing, and improving national co-ordination and workforce planning, as some of the key lessons from Covid policing; Policing Insight Deputy Editor Sarah Gibbons takes a closer look at the report.
De-escalation techniques could help reduce police use of force – but good data will be essential
LONG READ: The death of George Floyd shone the spotlight strongly on police use of force, but many police services and departments had already recognised concerns and were attempting to address the issue; however, the lack of data on the effectiveness of training in areas such as de-escalation have left it difficult to identify what works and why, as Policing Insight Contributing Editor Tina Orr-Munro reports.