Month: February 2024

Policing by Camera? The development and use of Live Facial Recognition within the police service.

Author claudiamccready | Posted on

Policing itself has moved on from the comforting ‘bobby on the beat’ portrayal of PC Dixon in Dixon on Dock Green, where your first two years of probation were spent walking the beat and meeting your community. The invention of patrol and area cars have moved us away from this community visible approach, with officers now able to reach wider and respond quicker.

We moved from handwritten statements to typed scripts that can actually be amended without a further statement and read by all, even if your own handwriting is poor. Although basic, these are two examples of where technology has advanced frontline policing, and there are many more examples within equipment, software, control rooms, intelligence too.

Before joining UWE in 2018, I was a serving police officer with roles involving community policing, problem-solving and proactive investigations. Within that time, I was lucky enough to spend time on an external secondment with a local ThinkTank researching this very topic. I got to witness some of these technological advancements, and I definitely got to experience their benefits.

It is clear that technology has infiltrated many aspects of policing, can we expect the advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to behave any differently?

AI is being called ‘one of the most transformative technologies of the last decade’ (Brown, 2019). In fact, back in October 2023, the policing minister Chris Philip MP wrote an open letter to the 43 Chief Officers and Police Crime Commissioners of England and Wales, his message was simple – continue to use AI within policing.

Let’s explore the debate surrounding its current use…

The recent and continued development of AI begs the question – how are public services planning on utilising the explosive and growing capabilities of such technology?

With free and accessible AI software available to all with a digital device, I remain particularly interested in how police services around the country will utilise a specific element of AI software called Facial Recognition technology. This blog is a short exploration of some factors surrounding the topic.  

The development of Facial Recognition can be traced back to the 1960s, where its creation is largely credited to American mathematician and computer scientist Woody Bledsoe, who taught his computer to recognise and compare facial features (Raviv, 2020). The concept has since been developed by others, as increased processing powers of computers has allowed for more complex software and technologies over time.  

Fast forward to August 2016 at the Notting Hill Carnival, where the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) were the first British police service to trial Live Facial Recognition (LFR). They were joined by South Wales Police (SWP) in 2017 (ICO, 2019).

Some Definitions:

Before looking into the considerations for LFR’s use, I first want to clear up some definitions.

Law enforcement have categorised the use of Facial Recognition technology in three ways:

  • Retrospective Facial Recognition (RFR) – images or videos (from CCTV or provided by the public) are compared against a database.
  • Operator Initiated Facial Recognition (OIFR) – images taken on an officer’s phone during a live incident are compared to a database to identify the person in real time.
  • Live Facial Recognition (LFR) – cameras scan the faces of those present within a public area. These live feeds are compared to a pre-set ‘watchlist’, it is the decision of a ‘human operator’ – a police officer to you and I – whether to speak to the person identified as a potential match.

– A ‘watchlist’ is a pre-determined collection of images that the police create for persons of interest. This includes those wanted by the police or courts, linked to suspected offences or for intelligence purposes (Bridges (2020), p.77).

Whilst all three of these categories of this technology are expanding, this blog will focus on the debate around the police’s use of Live Facial Recognition software only.

Technological Advancements

Some of you will recognise the increased access to AI within private sectors already. You have been able to unlock your phone using biometric data for years. In fact, it is already a security requirement for some apps. FRT is being used by private companies to track shoppers and their habits in store (TechHQ, 2020). It is starting to effectively diagnose diseases within the health sector, with some positive cases already reported in practice (Qiang et al., 2022).

Whilst some private sectors have removed LFR software from their products following backlash (Meta, 2021) – its use is likely to continue to grow. Should those within the Criminal Justice System (CJS) have access to these advancements too?

Modernisation and Efficiency

Anyone that has been exposed to the CJS will understand the need for it to modernise and become more efficient. The NPCC’s National Policing Strategy 2020-2030 (2020), as well as their Policing Vision 2025 (2016) and 2030 (2023), detail the necessity for services to become increasingly digital to keep up with the current modern world.

Commissioner of the MPS, Mark Rowley, has highlighted the need for police services to become more efficient now that the MPS is effectively working with 28% less funding in real terms than 10 years ago (Rowley QPM, 2023). Professor Sherman, founder of evidence-based policing and current Chief Scientific Officer for the MPS, has also recently discussed the need for police services to work more effectively with what they have (Sweetland, 2023).

LFR could be an attractive option for police services in the wake of reduced resources, given it is contactless and biometric data is difficult to alter, it may successfully identify individuals using less officer time and administration. 

Detection Rates

The Information Commissioner (2019) notes that the main criteria for success should be centred on public benefits, rather than arrest numbers and the ratio of positive and false matches. It is difficult to know what police, and more importantly the public they serve, consider ‘public benefits’ to be.

In terms of actual data, which is usually what these systems are judged upon, the figures around their use remain vague and difficult to find. Those figures shared from 2023 indicate that “at least” 9 arrests were made using LFR (Home Office, 2023). SWP deployment the software over 50 times which resulted in “arrests or disposals in over 50 cases” (Home Office, 2019).

The language used around these figures, and the lack of transparency in their publishing, makes it difficult to judge such systems in a meaningful way.

Ethical Considerations

Whilst biometric data is difficult to alter, it is also “intrinsically private” to the owner and the accessing of it raises the question of balancing crime prevention concerns against Article 8 rights of privacy (Bridges, (2020), p.57; HRA, 1998). SWP have already been found to breach privacy and equality law due to their deployment of LFR (ibid).

 I see the similarities between the development of LFR to that of DNA and forensic capabilities, however DNA is either collected with consent or because someone is suspected of a criminal offence.

The difference here is that the overwhelming majority of those subjected to LFR will be entirely innocent of any wrongdoing and the collection relies on the ‘informed consent’ gained by them entering a public area.  Given the lack of legislation, confusing algorithms and secrecy surrounding LFR, do police explain this well enough to gain consent?

Police use of LFR is still in its infancy and yet there is already growing concerns around the ‘slippery slope’ of its use. There are already discussions about increasing the database pool to include all images held by the DVLA and Passport Office, rather than just comparing them to police custody images. 

Furthermore, there are discussions around loading the software into installed and pre-existing CCTV and also within police body-worn video (BWV) cameras. Given London is the 9th most surveilled city in the world outside of China (Bischoff, 2023) and BWV cameras are being assigned to most frontline officers, the scope of use would shift cataclysmically.  

Whilst there are potentially vast crime solving opportunities available through a quick database search, innovative technologies do not occur in vacuum, and they demand the consideration of ethical issues. Such ethical issues should be reconsidered as the scope of LFR’s use increases.

Bias

Whilst it is tempting to believe that, because it is formed on data, the software is unbiased but that would be a form of tech washing, an over confidence in technology. LFR technology relies on machine-learning, they are shown sets of labelled images in a process called training, and therefore can only ‘recognise’ faces to the extent on which they have been trained (Biometrics and Forensics Ethics Group Facial Recognition Group, 2019).

There are already concerns around the effectiveness of these systems, and the Police’s openness around this. For example, the MPS claimed a 70% success rate for their systems when independent researchers employed to complete this analysis state it was only 19% (Fusey and Murray, 2020).

There’s also concerns about the racial and gender bias within LFR systems (Buolamwini & Gebru, 2018), with an error rate of up to 35% when identifying Black Women (University of Calgary, 2023). The courts recognised that SWP did not consider these potential biases before deploying the software (Bridges, (2020)) and such concerns continue as LFR advances.

If not developed properly, LFR has the potential to create a feedback loop which perpetuates rooted harmful outcomes, further impacting public confidence. Research suggests that people find it easier to recognise faces from the same race as their own (known as the other-race effort) (Zhou, Burton and Jenkins, 2021). Even with the safeguard of a police officer making the final decision on a ‘match’, years of failing to attract a diverse range of recruits creates the potential for a ‘Blue Watchlist’ where this harm is extended (Sampson, 2022).

Transparency and Oversight

The use of LFR is a complex topic, sometimes shrouded in secrecy and complicated algorithms. That secrecy is even maintained within court proceedings where the software and algorithms are protected on the grounds of ‘commercial sensitivity’ (Bridges (2020)). It begs the question – how much do we know about these systems and their ability to improve on the issues raised?       

There is no standalone piece of legislation governing the use of LFR. Police services continue to implement LFR under legislation created before LFR was developed, and with little outside consultation (ibid). There have already been calls to legislate so that police services can better use this software, and to make it easier for members of the public to find and understand the scope and limitations of its use.

It is clear that LFR will be used for ‘low level’ offences and, although the courts recognise the broad discretion afforded to police in creating ‘watchlists’,  the technology will potentially even be used to identify witnesses rather than suspects (Sampson, 2022).

The Future?

I don’t have all the answers when it comes to this subject but it’s clear that LFR is here to stay. The Home Secretary has voiced their support for its further use, while Nottinghamshire Police have joined those using it and there are already reports to expand its use (Sampson, 2023). 

Whilst there is a need for police services to digitalise and modernise their efforts at fighting crime and to become more efficient with their resources, can this be achieved effectively without proper governance, legislation, and transparency?

In a time where critics argue that policing by consent has been ‘shattered’ (University of East London, 2023), where public negativity towards the police is high (IOPC, 2023) and where there are calls for less over-policing of minority groups (Hope Not Hate, 2020), an introduction of such technology without further efforts of consultation and transparency is contentious.

I’ll end with this quote from Steve Jobs (2011):

“Technology alone is not enough.”

National Student Survey (NSS)

A big thank you to all final year UWE Bristol PCDA apprentices who have completed the NSS to date but we still need your help if you have not already done so.

Both UWE Bristol and Avon & Somerset Police (ASP) place a high level of emphasis on the survey as anyone thinking about applying to the force and UWE Bristol can see what you thought about your course.

The NSS is also hugely important as it provides your chance to look back on your experience and highlight what you have found good as well as offering ideas where you believe improvements can be made.

You can access the survey here

References

Biometrics and Forensics Ethics Group Facial Recognition Group (2019) Ethical issues arising from the police use of live facial recognition technology [online]. London: Biometrics and Forensics Ethics Group Facial Recognition Group. Available from: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5c755ffc40f0b603d660be32/Facial_Recognition_Briefing_BFEG_February_2019.pdf [Accessed 23 February 2024].

Bischoff, P. (2023) Surveillance camera statistics: which cities have the most CCTV cameras? Comparitech [blog]. 23 May. Available from: https://www.comparitech.com/vpn-privacy/the-worlds-most-surveilled-cities/ [Accessed 23 February 2024].

Buolamwini, J. and Gebru, T. (2018) ‘Gender shades: intersectional accuracy disparities in commercial gender classification’, Proceedings of Machine Learning Research [Online]. 81 (1) , pp 1–15. [Accessed 22 January 2024].

College of Policing (2023) Live Facial Recognition. Available from: https://www.college.police.uk/app/live-facial-recognition/live-facial-recognition [Accessed 22 January 2024].

Fussey, P. and Murray, D. (2019) Independent Report on the London Metropolitan Police Service’s Trial of Live Facial Recognition Technology. Project Report. University of Essex Human Rights Centre. Available from: https://repository.essex.ac.uk/24946/ [Accessed 23 February 2024].

Home Office. (2019) Fact Sheet on live facial recognition used by police. Home Office Blog [blog]. 4 September. Available from: https://homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk/2019/09/04/fact-sheet-on-live-facial-recognition-used-by-police/ [Accessed 22 January 2024].

Home Office (2023) Police use of Facial Recognition: Factsheet. Home Office in the media [blog]. 29 October. Available from: https://homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk/2023/10/29/police-use-of-facial-recognition-factsheet/ [Accessed 22 January 2024].

Hope Not Hate (2020) Minority communities in the time of Covid and protest: A study of BAME opinion [online]. London: Hope Not Hate. Available from: https://www.uwe.ac.uk/study/study-support/study-skills/referencing/uwe-bristol-harvard#reports [Accessed 2 February 2024].

Human Rights Act 1998 [online]. Chapter 42. (1998) Government Legislation. Available from: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/42/schedule/1/part/I/chapter/7 [Accessed 22 January 2024].

Independent Office for Police Conduct (2023) Public perceptions tracker summary report – 2022/23 [online]. London: Independent Office for Police Conduct. Available from: https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/publications/public-perceptions-tracker-summary-report-202223 [Accessed 22 February 2024].

Information Commissioner’s Office (2019) ICO investigation into how the police use facial recognition technology in public place. London: Information Commissioner’s Office. Available from: https://ico.org.uk/media/about-the-ico/documents/2616185/live-frt-law-enforcement-report-20191031.pdf [Accessed 22 January 2024].

Meta (2021) An Update on our Use of Facial Recognition. Available from: https://about.fb.com/news/2021/11/update-on-use-of-face-recognition/ [Accessed 22 January 2024].

Metropolitan Police Service (2023) Facial Recognition Technology. Available from: https://www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/fr/facial-recognition-technology/ [Accessed 22 January 2024].

National Police Chiefs’ Council (2016) Policing Vision 2025. London: National Police Chiefs’ Council. Available from: https://news.npcc.police.uk/releases/police-chiefs-and-pccs-set-out-a-vision-for-policing-in-2025 [Accessed 22 January 2024].

National Police Chiefs’ Council (2019). National Policing Digital Strategy: digital, data and technology strategy 2020-2030.  London: National Police Chiefs’ Council. Available from: National Police Chiefs’ Council (2016) Policing Vision 2025. London: National Police Chiefs’ Council. Available from: https://www.npcc.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/media/downloads/our-work/digital-policing/national-policing-digital-strategy-2020-2030.pdf [Accessed 23 February 2024].

National Police Chiefs’ Council (2023) Policing Vision 2030. London: National Police Chiefs’ Council. Available from: https://www.npcc.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/media/downloads/publications/policing-vision/policing-vision-2030.pdf    [Accessed 22 January 2024].

Qiang, J., Wu, D., Du, H., Zhu, H., Chen, S. & Pan, H. (2022) Review on Facial-Recognition-Based applications in Disease Diagnosis. Bioengineering (Basel) [online]. 9 (7), pp. 273 – 289. [Accessed 22 January 2024].

Raviv, S. (2020) The Secret History of Facial Recognition. Wired [online] 21 January. Available from: https://www.wired.com/story/secret-history-facial-recognition/ [Accessed 29 February 2024].

R (Bridges) v Chief Constable of South Wales Police and Others (2020) [EWCA] Civ 1058. Available from: https://www.judiciary.uk/judgments/r-bridges-v-cc-south-wales/ [Accessed 23 February 2024].

Rowley QPM, M. (2023) Fighting Crime: Turning Round the Met [conference of Policy Exchange], London. 11 September. Available from: https://policyexchange.org.uk/events/fighting-crime-turning-round-the-met/ [Accessed 22 January 2024].

Sampson, F. (2022) The Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner’s response to the College of Policing APP on Live Facial Recognition. Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner Blog [blog]. 6 April. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-biometrics-and-surveillance-camera-commissioners-response-to-the-college-of-policing-app-on-live-facial-recognition [Accessed 22 January 2024].

Sampson, F. (2023) The Commissioner discusses the new era for live facial recognition after the Coronation. Surveillance Camera Commissioner’s Office Blog [blog]. 17 May. Available from: https://videosurveillance.blog.gov.uk/2023/05/17/the-commissioner-discusses-the-new-era-for-live-facial-recognition-after-the-coronation/ [Accessed 22 January 2024].

South Wales Police (2023) Facial Recognition Technology. Available from: https://www.south-wales.police.uk/police-forces/south-wales-police/areas/about-us/about-us/facial-recognition-technology/ [Accessed 22 January 2024].

Sweetland, J. (2023) Prof Sherman: ‘In policing we cant have it all; there’s no free lunch – we have to make choices’. Policing Insight [blog]. 25 September. Available from: https://policinginsight.com/feature/interview/prof-sherman-in-policing-we-cant-have-it-all-theres-no-free-lunch-we-have-to-make-choices/ [Accessed 22 January 2024].

TechHQ (2020) – Nothing personal? How private companies are using facial recognition tech. T_HQ [blog]. 8 June. Available from: https://techhq.com/2020/06/nothing-personal-how-private-companies-are-using-facial-recognition-tech/ [Accessed 22 January 2024].

University of Calgary (2023) Law professor explores racial bias implications in facial recognition technology. University of Calgary [blog]. 23 August. Available from: https://ucalgary.ca/news/law-professor-explores-racial-bias-implications-facial-recognition-technology#:~:text=In%20some%20facial%20recognition%20technology,is%20about%2035%20per%20cent.%E2%80%9D [Accessed 23 February 2024].

University of East London (2023) Policing by Consent Shattered, Conference Told. University of East London [blog]. 21 April. Available from: https://uel.ac.uk/about-uel/news/2023/april/policing-consent-shattered-conference-told  [Accessed 22 February 2024].

Zhou, X., and Burton, A. M. and Jenkins, R. (2021) Two Factors in Face Recognition: Whether you know the person’s face and whether you share the person’s race. Perception [online]. 50 (6), pp. 524 – 539. [Accessed 23 February 2024].

Policing Leadership: Challenges, Reforms, and a Unified Vision

Author Paul Williamson | Posted on

Welcome to the latest UWE Bristol Policing blog. This week’s focus is on leadership, which is a core component of the Policing Curriculum. At its core, leadership is much more than a set of theories or strategies. It embodies practical wisdom acquired through study and experience and applied with judgement to an unpredictable flow of policing challenges.

In this week’s blog, we have the privilege of gaining fresh insights into police leadership from Andrew Lavoipierre. Andrew, a respected figure in leadership and business coaching, brings a unique perspective with what he describes as his ‘somewhat marmite style’ – a style that has consistently delivered added value to his business clients.

Without further ado, let’s turn the spotlight over to Andrew, extending our gratitude for what promises to be a thought-provoking read.

Leadership Challenges in Policing: A Fresh Perspective from the Sidelines

The erosion of public trust and confidence in the police across England and Wales is undeniable. From a leadership coaching perspective, one glance into the organisational structure reveals a clear explanation: evident leadership challenges are demanding attention from the top down.

In reality, the policing landscape is inherently fragmented. There are 43 police forces scattered across England and Wales, each led by its chief constable and governed by individual agendas. Additionally, the presence of 43 democratically elected police and crime commissioners, each with their own set of priorities, further complicates the leadership dynamics.

Companies would undoubtedly falter if a similar organisational structure were used in business. It is, therefore, no surprise that the police force in England and Wales delivers average outcomes, driven by these structural weaknesses and internal politics.

Drawing inspiration from business leadership, I believe the police could learn a valuable lesson: the need for a singular officer to oversee them all.

Current Law Enforcement Challenges in England and Wales

My trust and confidence in the police throughout England and Wales has plummeted, and public opinion largely agrees. Results of the Gallup Global Law and Order 2023 report show that there has been a slight uptick in police confidence in the United Kingdom year-on-year, but there is still a long way to go before faith is fully restored.

Unfortunately, trust and confidence are indispensable for the efficacy of a successful police force, proven to foster compliance and cooperation within communities. Their absence leaves our police forces teetering on the precipice of failure.

Acknowledging the severity of the situation, the Home Secretary explicitly addressed the challenges in the 2023 Strategic Policing Requirement. Within this directive, there is a clear recognition that “improving trust and confidence in policing” is a paramount objective, particularly in the critical mission to combat violence against women.

However, the road to restoration is no quick fix, especially considering numerous cases of police misconduct, political policing, and crime epidemics – all of which can be linked back to leadership failures and challenges.

Disgraceful Police Misconduct and Controversies

Many controversies have severely damaged public representation of policing in England and Wales, particularly the Metropolitan police. Most recently, a damning report issued by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) showed a disturbing reality of misconduct within the Met – one marred by racism, sexism, and homophobia.

The vile incidents are not the “behaviour of a few bad apples”, but a culture of bullying, harassment, and discrimination embedded into the organisation. And this is just the beginning of police failures: From the murder of Sarah Everard by serving officer Wayne Couzens to the Charring Cross scandal, the force needs a complete overhaul.

It doesn’t take a leadership expert to see these incidences result from management failures—in response to the IOPC report, Priti Patel was clear in condemning the “failure of leadership” within the police force. “We have seen now too many instances where in policing we just see the most appalling behaviours, the most appalling conduct. I also think it shows a failure of leadership.” This acknowledgement echoes my urgent call for a radical leadership shift.

Leadership, Officer Engagement, and Crime Resolution

As I see it, unresolved crime and police error is undeniably related to leadership. Poor leadership has a direct and detrimental impact on engagement, as evidenced by the Gallup Global Employee Report. The report shows a direct correlation between leadership and employee engagement. As highly engaged employees are known to be more productive and motivated, employee engagement becomes critical to the success of any organisation.

This holds true within the police force. When police chiefs and leaders fail to provide clear communication, consistent guidance, and foster a positive work environment, officers become disengaged. This lack of engagement, marked by reduced morale and motivation, significantly hampers the effectiveness of a police force in solving crimes.

A disengaged workforce is less likely to collaborate efficiently, respond promptly to challenges, and exhibit the dedication required for successful crime-solving. The connection between poor leadership and lower engagement levels creates a cascading effect, ultimately compromising the ability of law enforcement agencies to ensure public safety.

Police Leadership Challenges: The Pitfalls of Pleasing Everyone

With an outcry from the public for better policing – due to poor crime resolution that has trickled down from challenges at the top – the force finds itself entangled in the unattainable quest to “please all people all the time.” This mindset often results in more leadership issues, namely leadership paralysis from chief officers. The result is members of the public being yet more vulnerable to acts of crime.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the current knife crime epidemic in London. Examining data from 2015 to 2023, it becomes apparent that as the Metropolitan Police reduce the number of stop-and-search incidents, knife crime sees a corresponding increase. While balances and checks need to be in place, the primary desire of all law-abiding citizens is for safe streets – right?

It appears that pressure groups, with limited exposure to violent crime, are constraining the police from effectively executing their primary duty – to keep us safe. I want to ask these groups one question: Would they prefer the safety of their loved ones ensured by fearless police actions or the unsettling prospect of receiving tragic news at their doorstep? I guarantee the former.

Our safety should be a priority, but the varying agendas of the separate police forces and attempts to please everyone simultaneously make this impossible.

Blurred Lines Between Policing and Politics

Like it or not, policing is politicised – and this is a serious concern. Bringing in politics makes it almost impossible to adopt one of the basic principles of leadership: learn lessons but always look forward. It becomes inherently difficult to learn from experiences due to potential politically driven conflicts, biases, or distractions.

While the intentions of the police may be commendable, embracing a political stance also risks alienating groups with opposing views. Irrespective of personal opinions, we live in a democracy. Preserving freedom of speech is vital, and the police must remain apolitical for the sake of public trust. Would the public ever support a force that is unable to set politics aside? I doubt it.

The failure to uphold an apolitical stance can once more be traced back to challenges in leadership. Chief constables are succumbing to fear-driven leadership paralysis. Executive decision-making is crucial to organisational success but is not easy to do within a disjointed organisation. Even if police confidence has risen slightly, is it any surprise the world doesn’t feel safer?

Commitment to Improved Leadership Coaching, But Is it Enough?

The investment in police leadership has been neglected, but policing in England and Wales has committed to change. The College of Policing has released a five-stage leadership coaching program to replace the outdated strategic command course. This program recognises the critical need for a standardised approach to leadership development, spanning from constables to chief officers.

Interestingly, heading up this ambitious initiative is Chief Constable Stephen Watson of Greater Manchester Police. Watson has promised to crack down on crime in the country, blaming the controversies of the force on a “failure of senior leadership” when speaking to the BBC. His determination to tackle crime head-on aligns with the urgent need for a recalibration of leadership within law enforcement.

Yet, a lingering question prevails: Will this commitment to change suffice in uprooting deeply ingrained issues? While standardised executive coaching and training hold promise in fostering a more cohesive, accountable, and visionary force, achieving unity under a single chief officer for policing in England and Wales merits contemplation.

The Future: Unified Policing for Strengthened Leadership

Successful leadership stands on three pillars: Communication, Transparency, and Accountability. These are the aspects I focus on when coaching CEOs on their leadership styles. Policing, like any organisation in the world, thrives when these elements are harmonised.

Unfortunately, even with extensive leadership training, the fragmented structure of the police force makes these three pillars almost impossible to achieve. I instead advocate for a unified force with a single officer overseeing England and Wales to establish a clear line of accountability.

I hear you – wouldn’t appointing a single officer to head policing across England and Wales be ineffective due to the diverse needs of the 43 communities? Well, consider this: global businesses confront diverse challenges across various countries, yet they effectively manage operations under a single CEO. This demonstrates the viability of having one person oversee the entirety – a testament that robust top leadership can fortify the entire strength of an organisation.

Consider the most evident example in the realm of security: the head of the British Military, the Chief of the Defence Staff. This individual shoulders overall responsibility for all three branches of the military. Serving as the crucial conduit between politicians and the heads of different branches, this model illustrates the feasibility of centralised leadership managing multifaceted responsibilities.

Closing the Chapter: A Call for Transformation in Policing Leadership

As we reflect on the multifaceted challenges corroding policing in England and Wales, it becomes evident that a radical shift is imperative for restoring public confidence. The fragmented structure, rampant controversies, and the intersection of policing with politics all demand attention.

The unattainable quest to please all sectors of society, coupled with the political entanglements of policing, has left our law enforcement at a crossroads. It is at this crucial moment that the investment in police leadership emerges as a beacon of hope. The newly introduced five-stage leadership coaching program, spearheaded by Chief Constable Stephen Watson, offers a promising avenue for transformative change.

However, as we embrace this commitment to change, the call for a unified force with a single officer overseeing England and Wales emerges as a compelling solution. Drawing parallels with successful global business models and the centralised leadership structure of the British Military, it becomes clear that a robust, top-down approach can fortify the entire organisation.

The future of policing requires bold changes and a departure from the status quo. It is a journey fraught with challenges, but the potential rewards are profound: a police force that protects, serves, and commands the trust and respect of the communities it serves – like any good leader.

National Student Survey (NSS)

On behalf of the UWE Bristol Policing Team, could all eligible third year policing programme students please support completion of this years NSS before 30 April.

Both UWE Bristol and Avon & Somerset Police (ASP) place a high level of emphasis on the survey as anyone thinking about applying to the force and UWE Bristol can see what you thought about your course.

The NSS is also hugely important as it provides your chance to look back on your experience and highlight what you have found good as well as offering ideas where you believe improvements can be made.

You can access the survey here

Editorial Team

Paul Williamson (Editor-in-Chief); Claudia McCready (Lecturer); Eve Smietanko (Joint Programme Leader & Senior Lecturer); Ian Lowe (Senior Lecturer) & Micah Hassell (Senior Lecturer).

If you would like to contribute as a guest blogger, please contact Police.Blog@uwe.ac.uk

Celebrating National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) 2024

Author Paul Williamson | Posted on

The NAW2024 highlights the positive impact that our Police Apprentices have working within Avon & Somerset Police, the communities within the force area and individual victims and suspects. Today is ‘Celebration’ Day of the NAW2024 and this provides a great platform to showcase the impact of the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) jointly delivered by UWE Bristol and our local Avon & Somerset Police Force.

Stay tuned as we will hear directly from an apprentice sharing their story. This story is not only a celebration of individual achievement, but also a tribute to the countless apprentices who are shaping their futures through dedication, hard work, and unwavering determination.

UWE Bristol Apprenticeships and the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA)

The College of Policing introduced the PCDA as one of the routes to join the service which was adopted by Avon & Somerset Police and UWE Bristol in 2019. The PCDA seeks to standardise training on how to ‘Police’ in the modern world where an officer needs to be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and behaviours to fulfil such a demanding and professionally rewarding career.

Jo Parsons is UWE Bristol’s Apprenticeship Coordinator (Policing) and comments that ‘Uwe Bristol’s Apprenticeships are a great way for public and private sectors to collaborate on the design of courses. This provides students with an alternative pathway to more traditional routes of learning which can increase accessibility to more applicants.

Jo goes on to outline the benefits of the PCDA, including:

  • Earn and Learn at the same time!
  • Gain a Level 6 Degree Qualification in Professional Policing Practice.
  • Fully funded course.
  • From the start you will be part of frontline Policing.
  • You will be supported throughout the 3-year programme by the Teaching Team, Avon & Somerset Police Tutors, Assessors and the Tri-Partite Policing Team who are all there to assist you along the journey to becoming a qualified Police Constable.  
  • Blended Learning between the classroom and the workplace equips apprentices to be the best Police Officer you can be.

Over the last year, UWE Bristol has received fantastic external validation regarding the quality of delivery and performance of apprentices. In 2023 the PCDA was subject of an Ofsted Inspection and an End Point Assessment Quality Inspection, both achieving ‘Good’ status. Our key partner Avon and Somerset Police (ASP) was ranked 75th in the Department for Education’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Providers and UWE Bristol was listed in the Top 20 ‘Rate my Apprenticeship’ providers. With the PCDA representing over 25% of all UWE apprentices, these accolades reflect our growing reputation.

UWE Bristol Apprenticeships Community of Practice

In the lead up to NAW2024, UWE hosted an ‘Apprenticeships Community of Practice’ event. UWE Bristol Vice Chancellor (VC) Steve West provided an inspiring speech about how UWE’s apprenticeship provision should seek to be brave in facing the challenges of the future and why apprenticeships are forecast to grow. This is in response to being highly sought by industry and apprentices alike. Let us now turn to explore the apprentice experience.

🌟 Spotlight on Apprenticeships: Meet Gary Berry! 🌟

In celebration of National Apprenticeships Week, we are thrilled to shine the spotlight on one of our outstanding apprentices. Over to Gary…

‘Hi, I’m Gary and I graduated from the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) in March 2023. I can’t believe how quickly the past 3 years have gone!

I joined Avon and Somerset Constabulary (ASC) in March 2020 without any prior policing experience. I was the first in my family to become a police officer and like many of you, I joined as I had a desire to help people and make a real difference. Opting for the PCDA was an obvious choice for me because it provided an opportunity to learn whilst still receiving a salary and offered a stable career. Through this pathway, I obtained a valuable degree at no cost to me, which was particularly important as I already had a degree and was therefore still paying towards that one.

The PCDA course started with a series of lectures on topics such as law and human vulnerabilities, and this marked a steep learning curve for myself and my colleagues. To compound matters, within a week of starting the course, the COVID-19 pandemic meant that we had to leave the classroom and start remote learning. However, after some trial and error, a collaborative effort between ASC and UWE produced a stable learning environment. This learning enabled me to take my initial steps into the real world of policing with some confidence.

The PCDA has given me the opportunity to study a range of interesting topics related to policing, such as stop and search, terrorism, and criminological theories. These subjects have been grounded in evidence-based practices, an approach which I believe is the future of policing as it will help officers and staff to formulate, use and review the best available evidence to inform and challenge current policies, practices, and procedures. 

There are opportunities to tailor your learning to your interests as part of the PCDA; for example, a topic that truly caught my professional curiosity is stop and search. This is because I possessed limited knowledge of this policing power, although I was aware of its contentious nature. To develop my own understanding in this area, I joined the internal stop and search scrutiny panel. This involves individuals from within the policing community coming together to scrutinise searches that have been conducted by police officers in ASC. Feedback can then be provided. 

A requirement of the PCDA involves writing a dissertation centred around a self-selected policing topic and I chose to focus my research on stop and search. My title was ‘An Investigation into the Barriers Involved in Preventing Police Officers from Utilising Stop and Search Powers’. Navigating the process of writing a dissertation proved to be stressful, however unwavering support from my UWE supervisor helped me to identify a substantial gap in the existing literature. 

This research has given me the opportunity to collaborate with the force lead in ASC for stop and search and propose several recommendations. For example, my findings identified that scrutiny impacted officers’ willingness to engage in stop searches. Therefore, I am in the process of introducing internal resources explaining what scrutiny is, how it is applied in ASC and its importance in enhancing our accountability, transparency, and fairness when using this power.

I also had the opportunity to attend and present my research at the annual UWE Social Science Conference in May 2023. The event involved over 20 undergraduate and postgraduate students from other degrees such as Psychology, Sociology, Politics, Criminology and Philosophy, each sharing their own research. To my utmost surprise, my research was awarded first prize. This experience is something that I would not have considered three years ago, and it has allowed me to develop skills in public speaking and presenting. 

Since graduating, I have been able to apply the skills I acquired throughout the PCDA course. I contribute to the stop and search and violence against women and girls’ portfolios under the guidance of the leads, specifically in relation to body-worn video (BWV). For example, I have revised the guidance on BWV for both portfolios explaining its importance and benefits, back by evidence-based research. In addition, I analyse the BWV data uploaded by officers to ASC systems to ensure they comply with force policy. Failure to adhere can significantly affect public confidence if complaints arise’.

In January 2024, Gary transferred to the Metropolitan Police Service to take up a response officer role in Wimbledon. He goes on to explain that:

‘The diversity of work in the capital is something I am eager to embrace, along with the plethora of opportunities available. In addition, I would like to pursue a postgraduate degree to further enhance my knowledge and academic skills, providing a solid foundation for my continued career development.

Overall, I believe the various experiences I have gained from the PCDA have equipped me with the necessary knowledge and skills to confidently tackle any future challenges, both in my professional and personal life. I strongly believe that the effort you invest directly correlates with the rewards you reap, especially in this rewarding career’.

Looking forward

Thank you for joining us in celebrating National Apprenticeships Week and the remarkable stories of apprentices like Gary, whom we wish every continued success. The PCDA continues to build on UWE Bristol’s long history of working with regional employers and our bespoke policing facilities at UWE Bristol are the envy of other providers.

As we look ahead, the UWE Bristol Policing programme remains steadfast in our support for apprentices and apprenticeship programs, ensuring that every individual can thrive and succeed. Here’s to the continued success of apprenticeships and the countless PCDA officers whose career journeys in Policing inspire us all.

Useful links

https://www.uwe.ac.uk/courses/degree-apprenticeships

https://courses.uwe.ac.uk/ST0304/police-constable

Editorial Team

Paul Williamson (Editor-in-Chief); Claudia McCready (Lecturer); Eve Smietanko (Joint Programme Leader & Senior Lecturer); Ian Lowe (Senior Lecturer) & Micah Hassell (Senior Lecturer).

If you would like to contribute as a guest blogger, please contact Police.Blog@uwe.ac.uk

To what extent are we winning the war? Breaking the organised crime enigma code

Author Paul Williamson | Posted on

I have been fortunate to lead some iconic investigations during my career in Policing and at the National Crime Agency (NCA) prior to joining the Policing Programme at UWE Bristol. It seems an appropriate moment to reflect on one of the most challenging yet rewarding of these with the launch of a BBC ‘Gangster’ series ‘Catching the Kingpins’ (Azhar, 2024). This charts ‘the biggest organised crime bust in British Policing History’ (Azhar, 2024) following the UK response to the infiltration and take down of the criminally dedicated encrypted communications platform EncroChat.

This response came as I neared the end of my 30-year career in law enforcement, of which I enjoyed every day. I look back with pride on my role as UK Silver Commander for investigations on Operation Venetic and that of the whole team. The UK operation continues to generate high media attention having resulted in 3,100 arrests of which 1,867 have been charged and more than 1,200 people jailed (Stedman, 2023). I truly felt we were at that time ‘winning the battle’, but have we won the war on organised crime?

Background to Encrypted Communications

Throughout history, we have seen examples of clandestine communication and efforts to crack them. As far back as 60 BC, with Julius Caesar’s cipher, to British cryptographers role in cracking the Enigma machine during World War II.

Encryption is generally a technique that is used to conceal messages using algorithms. It helps to protect private information, sensitive data, and enhance security of communication.  Over the intervening decades, the landscape of encryption evolved dramatically. Organised criminals enthusiastically adopted Blackberry Messenger (BBM) to protect their communications from law enforcement. Numerous companies were subsequently set up and traded in encrypted devices for transnational organised crime, including Phantom Secure and Ennetcom.

In 2014, FBI Director James Comey addressed the challenge of balancing privacy and security in a digital age, aptly termed ‘Going Dark.’ He emphasised that privacy is a personal right and security is a collective need, but they often conflict. As technology advances, especially with encryption, this balance is disrupted (Comey, 2014). While there were some investigation successes, criminals were clearly exploiting technology’s benefits to avoid detection.

Into the darkness

Among the various competitors, EncroChat emerged as the preferred platform for Northern European Organised Crime, prompting the NCA to recognise it as a substantial threat.

In 2019, the possession of an EncroChat device was designated as an ‘aggravating factor’ in sentencing at a murder trial where the Judge characterised it as a ‘new generation of untraceable mobile phones, empowering criminals to plan murders and drug deals without fear of their conversations ever being revealed’ (Thomas and Docking, 2019).

Adverts for EncroChat were not found on any conventional mobile phone websites or stores and were distributed through a clandestine network. The phones had pre-loaded apps for instant messaging, the ability to make VOIP calls and included a kill code which wiped them remotely. They cost around £1,500 for a six-month contract and EncroChat became an entry requirement into the lucrative organised crime marketplace.

By 2020, it was assessed that EncroChat had become the leading provider of encrypted communication services to serious organised crime (SOC) both in the UK and internationally, boasting approximately 60,000 users worldwide, with an estimated 10,000 in the UK (NCA, 2020).

A ‘Whole System’ Response

International collaboration was a key aspect of success. After a meeting at Europol, our French and Dutch partners reported an ability to penetrate EncroChat. This meant we had just a few weeks to become operationally ready to respond to an unprecedented opportunity to gather EncroChat messaging data and strike at the very heart of organised crime.  

Just as we were gearing up the necessary legal authorities, collaborative partnerships and resourcing with Policing and the multitude of agencies involved in tackling organised crime throughout the UK, the world was plunged into Covid 19 lockdown. We were faced with a decision to pause or remain committed to action and press on. The unanimous decision was to ‘go-go-go’ as this was simply too good an opportunity to miss. I was then responsible for leading co-ordination of all UK agencies during the operation to maximise operational impact. Throughout this, only a small group of people knew the full details of the operation and what was to follow.

Covert Phase and Data Exploitation

The operation eventually went live in April 2020 and we were immediately sat at the end of a data tsunami of messages and images exchanged between organised criminals. To give you a sense of scale, by the end of the operation over 18 million messages and images had been recovered (Jeeves, 2024). This treasure-trove reflected the high degree of confidence in the EncroChat platform. It was like being sat at the same table as these criminals when they were discussing their enterprises.

With similarities to Enigma code breaking, during the covert phase the data could only be used as intelligence. There was, however, light at the end of the tunnel. It was agreed early on that once the operation had been made public, the data recovered could be used evidentially in suspect interviews and at court. Intelligence packages were built and disseminated to develop and launch operations. Together with a small team I then had the responsibility of pre-authorising all Executive Action (EA) involving arrests and seizures across the UK during the covert phase.

Key to decision making on EA was the prioritisation based on threat, harm and risk and obfuscation of the EncroChat data through parallel sourcing of intelligence and building the picture to enable executive action. The criminals clearly had concerns which were reflected in their messages:

  • “This year the police are winning.”
  • “So many ppl been took down here, NCA been clearing up” (NCA, 2020).

Despite these concerns, their use of EncroChat continued, largely driven by their confidence in the security of EncroChat, and perhaps by their greed.

Threats to Life (TTL)

Having dealt with many TTLs, kidnaps and criminal vendettas, it was rare to get a formal complaint and sufficient evidence to prosecute once the threat was removed, avoided, or reduced. Between April and June, the operation had to manage 200 TTLs from the data in compliance with Article 2 and the right to life. It brought new meaning to the phrase ‘holding your nerve’ in balancing the Article 2 priority with the broader ethical and moral risks involved in compromising the operation that was revealing the extreme nature of ‘violence-as-a-service’ business model within the organised crime underworld. 

These TTLs involving targeted shootings, kidnaps and torture, were a daily occurrence in the early stages of the covert phase. The skill, creativity, and swift action of the teams in making fast-time decisions in ambiguous circumstances to disrupt these violent plans saved lives.

This was done in the knowledge that their messages could serve as key evidence for future conspiracy to murder prosecutions once the operation became public. Examples of successes, in addition to the case of Frankie Sinclair (Goodwin, 2022), featured in the BBC ‘Catching the Kingpins’ series include:

  • Salford crime lord, Nathan Vanden who went by the EncroChat handle ‘Vlad the Impaler’. He ordered hits to be carried out in Manchester and he has now been sentenced for conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm and possession of a firearm (Bardsley, 2023).
  • The conviction of Gerald Gilmour and Martin Mullen in Glasgow for conspiracy to murder after their plot to kill was foiled and the weapons recovered (McCabe, 2023).

Corruption

Insider threat is always an issue to be planned for and guarded against on organised crime operations. Europol’s assessment is that almost 60 % of the criminal groups reported engage in corruption (SOCTA, 2021). The UK as well as partner countries revealed cases of corruption which was exposed or informed by the EncroChat data. Examples included:

  • A North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) intelligence analyst who was arrested by the NCA in a sting operation shortly after Operation Venetic went live in April 2020 having tipped off criminal associates about the EncroChat infiltration (NCA, 2023). 
  • The case of a Metropolitan Police Officer who stopped and searched drug dealers so he could steal hundreds of thousands of pounds for an organised crime gang controlled from Dubai (Simpson, 2021).

Attribution

To achieve successful criminal cases, it was essential when using data from devices and handles to attribute them to a user. The inquiry utilised the full range of tactics and these have openly been reported on, including image analysis. This revealed some criminals whose operational security was notably lacking. A drug trafficker going by the handle “ThrowtheDice” plotting to smuggle drugs valued at £45 million hidden in a digger to Australia unwittingly provided attribution assistance when he sent an image of his dog ‘Bob’ on EncroChat, revealing his partner’s phone number on the dog collar (CPS, 2022). As fate would have it, Bob was present when he was arrested.

Disruption of EncroChat

The covert phase extended long beyond what many considered possible, however, the EncroChat messages ended on 13 June 2020, when the company realised that their platform had been penetrated. EncroChat then sent a warning to all its users, but it was too late. Pre-planned warrants and arrests were then executed across the UK over the coming weeks, coordinated from our Silver Control Room, and we began to disclose the data in suspect interviews and case files which was coordinated by the resolute NCA SIO and Disclosure Team.

In July 2020 it was announced to the world media that EncroChat had been exploited by law enforcement to achieve unprecedented outcomes in the war against Organised Crime. The breakdown of results at that stage alone was impressive, including 746 arrests, £54m, 77 firearms and over two tonnes of drugs seized (NCA, 2020). These results have continued to grow. Locally, this was seen in November 2023 when four OCG members were sentenced for supplying millions of pounds worth of drugs across the South West using EncroChat evidence along with a highly skilled investigation (Avon and Somerset Police, 2023).

Conclusion

‘Operation Venetic’ was an amazing experience and a great way to sign-off my career. I played my part as one of the many who worked to take ‘kingpins’ and some dangerous criminals out of circulation. I was especially proud to receive a Director General Commendation for my role as UK Silver Investigation Commander.

So surely now, with the biggest organised crime group bust in history, we can expect a major sustained fall in the scale of the drug market, drug-related violence, drug-related deaths, exploitation through ‘county lines’ and cannabis farms?

History tells us it does not, and never will, work like that. My concluding thoughts are:

  • Often hidden from sight, the true scale of organised crime as evidenced in Operation Venetic should be a concern to us all.
  • As OCG’s continue to exploit technology to their advantage, data enabled investigations will be at the heart of what policing do and we can expect the velocity, scale, and nature of these demands to fluctuate.
  • The whole spectrum of Law Enforcement Agencies needs to be systemic and agile enough to meet this demand. This remains an ongoing challenge, not only internationally but nationally.

The battle of 2020 was won but the war goes on. Drawing parallels with US Senator Robert Kennedy’s crusade against organised crime in the 1960’s, too often communities adopt ‘the attitude that crime is the business of the police and should be left to them. This is a dangerous climate in which organized crime can prosper’ (Kennedy, 1962, p.324). If such operations are to make any lasting difference, public demand for organised crime products and services must be diminished by encouraging, arousing, and sustaining ‘the vigilance of the public’ (Kennedy, 1962).

References

Avon and Somerset Police (2023). Organised crime group jailed for more than 35 years for drug supply offences. Available from: https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/news/2023/11/organised-crime-group-jailed-for-more-than-35-years-for-drug-supply-offences/ [Accessed 16 January 2024].

Azhar, M (2024) Catching the Kingpins. BBC [podcast]. Available from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p09dj358 [Accessed 8 January 2024].

Bardsley, A. (2023). ‘Vlad the Impaler’, a prison officer and a cowardly thug amongst those jailed in Greater Manchester this week. Manchester evening News [online]. 9 September. Available from: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/vlad-impaler-prison-officer-cowardly-27670403 [Accessed 15 January 2024].

Comey, J.B. (2014) Going Dark: Are Technology, Privacy, and Public Safety on a Collision Course? Speech to Brookings Institution Washington, D.C. 16 October. Available from: https://www.fbi.gov/news/speeches/going-dark-are-technology-privacy-and-public-safety-on-a-collision-course [Accessed 15 January 2024].

Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) (2022). Six men jailed after £44 million worth of MDMA found hidden in arm of excavator. Available from: https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/six-men-jailed-after-ps44-million-worth-mdma-found-hidden-arm-excavator [Accessed 15 January 2024].

Goodwin, B. (2022). Two men convicted after using EncroChat cryptophones to plot killing. Computer Weekly [online]. 16 March. Available from: https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252514694/Two-men-convicted-after-using-EncroChat-cryptophones-to-plot-killing [Accessed 15 January 2024].

Jeeves, P. (2024). Cracking encrypted messages revealed how rival gangsters join forces. The Express [online]. 15 January. Available from: https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1855839/encrypted-messages-rival-gangsters [Accessed 16 January 2024].

Kennedy, R. F. (1962). Three Weapons against Organized Crime. Crime and Delinquency, 8(4), 321–324.

McCabe, G. (2023). French and Dutch cops foiled Encrochat murder plot by Scots. Glasgow Times [online]. 23 June. Available from: https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/scottish-news/23609965.french-dutch-cops-foiled-encrochat-murder-plot-scots/ [Accessed 16 January 2024].

National Crime Agency (NCA) (2020). NCA and police smash thousands of criminal conspiracies after infiltration of encrypted communication platform in UK’s biggest ever law enforcement operation. Available from: https://nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/news/operation-venetic [Accessed 15 January 2024].

National Crime Agency (NCA) (2023). Operation Venetic: Corrupt police worker jailed for tipping-off criminal over secret international investigation. Available from: https://nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/news/operation-venetic-corrupt-police-worker-jailed-for-tipping-off-criminal-over-secret-international-investigation [Accessed 15 January 2024].

Simpson, J. (2021) Corrupt police officer Kashif Mahmood caught after gangster group was hacked. The Times [online]. 12 May. Available from: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/met-officer-stole-drug-money-in-fake-raids-dkhslp88q [Accessed 15 January 2024].

Stedman, H. (2023) Crime ‘kingpins’ among 400 jailed after Met Police crack ‘secure’ messaging app.

The Independent [online]. 9 October. Available from: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/met-police-encrochat-b2426469.html [Accessed 15 January 2023].

Thomas, J. and Docking, N. (2019) Sold in Liverpool: The £3k-a-year mobile phone that can be wiped even if seized by police. Liverpool Echo [online] 20 January 2019. Available from: https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/sold-liverpool-3k-year-mobile-15652444

Editorial Team

Paul Williamson (Editor-in-Chief); Claudia McCready (Lecturer); Eve Smietanko (Joint Programme Leader & Senior Lecturer); Ian Lowe (Senior Lecturer) & Micah Hassell (Senior Lecturer).

If you would like to contribute as a guest blogger, please contact Police.Blog@uwe.ac.u

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