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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

Check out the ‘World’s most Dangerous Prisoners’ on 5Action tonight

Author Paul Williamson | Posted on

Last year, I was invited to contribute to the series ‘World’s Most Dangerous Prisoners’ which looks at offenders whose shocking crimes earned them a whole-life tariff behind bars. Tonight’s episode focuses on Joanna Dennehy who fits the generally accepted definition of a serial killer having committed three calculated and brutal murders with a ‘cooling off’ period between the killings (Farrell, Keppel and Titterington, 2011). Having developed a taste for killing, Dennehy then attempted to murder two random strangers.

Women who commit serial killings are rare and research into victim relationships and motivations lags male offenders (Farrell, Keppel and Titterington, 2011). My aim in this blog is to reflect on my involvement in this infamous case and briefly highlight some of the keys to success as well as exploring why Dennehy will never be released from a life behind bars.

The Investigation

This major Investigation began on Saturday 30 March 2013 after Cambridgeshire Police discovered the body of a man who had been reported missing. The body had been staged in what could be considered an act of humiliation. A murder investigation was commenced, led by a Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) Martin Brunning of the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Hertfordshire Major Crime Collaboration Unit. Unknown to Martin at that time, Dennehy had already killed two other men.

By this time, Dennehy and her accomplice Gary Stretch were already on the run. On 2 April both made their way to Hereford in the West Mercia Force area where Dennehy told Stretch that she wanted to kill again: “I want my fun… I need you to get my fun” (Cawley, 2014). Dennehy specifically requested that Stretch find male victims, not women or children. Stretch then drove around Hereford where Dennehy stabbed two men out walking their dogs in random separate attacks within 20-minutes of each other. Both men were callously attacked from behind and the injuries inflicted were horrific. In the second attack alone, the victim suffered 30 stab wounds. Miraculously both survived despite suffering near fatal injuries and I was appointed as the SIO for this investigation.  

Success factors and the crucial role of First Responders

We teach our UWE Police apprentices that the key to success for investigations largely lies in ‘making the right decisions, taking the right action and securing evidence’ (Cook and Tattersall, 2014, p. 64) by following the ‘golden hours’ principle. You often only get one chance to get things right.

For many of the response officers involved, this will have been one of the most important incidents they will have dealt with in their careers. Through their rapid and professional response, Dennehy was captured near to the scene of the second attack in Hereford in what was a dramatic moment for the investigation. Stretch was also quickly arrested some miles away following an extensive manhunt. I firmly believe that the actions of the responding officers prevented further attacks. What they did was get the building block principles, including:

  • The priority and fast response to protect life.
  • Preservation of the two attack scenes north and south of the river Wye which dissects the city.
  • Securing evidence and initial accounts from victims and key witnesses.
  • Identification of the victims.
  • The first victim was able to describe their attacker as a woman with a distinctive star tattoo on her face and Dennehy was identified as the prime suspect. An area search quickly resulted in her arrest and recovery of Archie the dog stolen from the second Hereford attack victim. The significant statement made by Dennehy admitting to killing ‘him’ was recorded.
  • The arresting officers also recovered other key evidence including a blood-stained knife and clothing. A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of a camera bizarrely containing photos taken by Dennehy and Stretch in the days leading up to the attacks.

It was only on the day following her arrest that the true extent of her killing spree became apparent with the discovery of two further murder victims in Cambridgeshire. In common with research on female serial killers, all the Cambridgeshire victims were known to Dennehy (Hickey, 2015) and were stabbed to death and callously dumped in ditches in what came to be known as the ‘Peterborough Ditch’ murders. By contrast, a distinguishing feature of the Hereford attacks were that they were committed on strangers with no apparent motive. Dennehy had clearly developed a ‘moreish’ taste to kill (Judiciary of England and Wales, 2014, p.18).

Teamwork

It was agreed that I would take primacy for the joint investigation due to having the greatest chance of successfully resolving the case. In the glare of significant public, media, and organisational attention, the pace of investigation was intense and effective cross border working between forces was essential. Both Martin and I worked hard in these initial stages to find practical solutions to the problems and challenges that arose. The joint working between our teams and effective sharing of information enabled us to maximise evidence gathering. As the pace slowed and primacy for the joint investigation passed over to Martin and his team, we formalised this joint working in a Memorandum of Understanding which was crucial in maintaining focus on the main lines of enquiry and building a successful prosecution case.  The professionalism in handling of the case later drew significant organisational and media praise (Knight, 2014) which the whole team was proud of.  

Sentencing a serial killer

Dennehy was convicted of the three murders and two attempted murders in February 2014. She was the first woman sentenced by a Judge to serve a whole-life term (Judiciary of England and Wales, 2014). In 2023, Lucy Letby became the second female serial killer sentenced by a Judge to a whole life term (Thomas, 2023). The only two other women in English criminal history to be assessed as so dangerous never to be released were Myra Hindley and Rosemary West who instead were ordered not to be released by the then Home Secretary.

Dennehy was not a sophisticated criminal who was used to concealing evidence and actions from the police. Dennehy’s actions were however, shocking not only for their brutality, but also because female serial killers are relatively rare, only accounting for 15% (Farrell, Keppell and Titterington, 2011). This rarity, combined with the extreme violence of Dennehy’s crimes, has contributed to her notoriety and the international media attention surrounding her case.

As well as having a professional interest in crime investigation, I also have an academic interest in the theories and principles central to criminology and criminal psychology having competed a MSc in this subject. Before the Dennehy case I remember one of my assignments being titled ‘Do real psychopaths exist’. We do not have the time to go in-depth on this, but it is interesting to compare the Dennehy case with some psychopathy traits:

  • The interpersonal traits of a psychopath include ‘superficial charm…and the manipulation of others’ (FBI, 2005). Dennehy clearly exercised control and manipulation over men in her life.  Dennehy also sought to regain control at trial by pleading guilty to the surprise of her Defence team (Cawley, 2014). The Judge in sentencing Dennehy commented that she was a ‘…manipulative serial killer’ (Judiciary of England and Wales, 2014, p.1).  
  • Sentencing comments also showed how the murders involved ‘sexual and sadistic conduct’ and that Dennehy saw the killings as a kind of fetish. Research indicates that ‘violence and sexual gratification are inexplicably intertwined’ in serial killers’ motivations (FBI, 2005).
  • Another psychopathy trait is lack of remorse or guilt. Mr Justice Spencer made it clear that Dennehy had ‘shown no genuine remorse’ (Judiciary of England and Wales, 2014, p.18).
  • Research also shows that psychopaths ‘are extremely callous in their interactions with their victims’ (FBI, 2015). The surviving victims of the Hereford attacks both recounted how Dennehy was so cold, cruel, and calculated, showing no emotion other than wanting to stab them some more (Cawley, 2014).
  • Another common trait is sensation seeking (FBI, 2005). Dennehy was said to have revelled in the notoriety of being Britain’s most wanted person and whilst on the run, compared herself and Stretch to the US robbers Bonnie and Clyde (Cawley, 2014).

These traits along with the heinous nature of her crimes explain why Joanna Dennehy will never be set free. You can find out more about the Dennehy case by watching the ‘World’s most Dangerous Prisoners’ on 5Action at 9pm tonight. It is available to watch on SKY (current channel 150) Virgin (current channel 130) and Freeview (current channel 33), and Channel 5 on demand service My5.

References

Cawley, L. (2014) Joanne Dennehy: The woman who murdered men ‘for fun’. BBC [online] 12 February 2014. Available from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-25669206 [Accessed 22 January 2024].

Cook and Tattersall (2014). Blackstone’s Senior Investigating Officers’ Handbook (3rd Ed.) Oxford University Press. 

Farrell, A. L., Keppel, R. D., & Titterington, V. B. (2011). Lethal Ladies: Revisiting What We Know About Female Serial Murderers. Homicide Studies, 15(3), pp. 228–252. [Accessed 22 January 2024].

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (2005) Serial Murder: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives for Investigators. Behavioural Analysis Unit National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime. Available from: https://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/serial-murder [Accessed 22 January 2024].

Hickey. (2015). Serial Murderers and Their Victims (7th edition.). Cengage Learning.

Judiciary of England and Wales (2014). The Queen ‐v‐ Joanne Christine Dennehy   Gary John Stretch   Leslie Paul Layton  Robert James Moore In the Crown Court at Cambridge sitting at the Central Criminal Court 28 February 2014 Sentencing remarks of Mr Justice Spencer. Available from: https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/JCO/Documents/Judgments/the-queen-v-dennehy-sentencing-remarks-28022014.pdf [Accessed 22 January 2024].

Knight, A. (2014) Top Cops praised for serial killer snare. Hereford Times [online] 29 October 2014. Available from: https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/11566002.top-cops-praised-for-serial-killer-snare/ [Accessed 22 January 2024.

Thomas, T. (2023) Lucy Letby sentenced to whole-life jail term after murdering seven babies. The Guardian [online] 21 August 2023. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/live/2023/aug/21/lucy-letby-sentencing-hearing-life-sentence-updates [Accessed 22 January 2023].

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

Finally, some good news!

Author claudiamccready | Posted on

This week sees UWE Bristol wind down for the Christmas period, with the campus set to close between Friday 22nd December 2023 – Tuesday 2nd January 2024.

It has been a busy year for most, with some of the highs covered by Eve below. January 2024 brings the marking of March 2021’s dissertations and their End Point Assessments, we wish them all the best of luck and look forward to seeing their hard work pay off. We warmly receive some existing apprentices back on the 2nd January, with a new cohort of first year apprentices joining us the week after. This pace continues throughout the year and your academic team are excited for the times ahead.

Image of Eve Smietanko

We know that most of you will be busy over the festive period – turning up at work when it feels like the rest of the country remain at home with loved ones – all in aid of keeping your communities safe. Look after one another and stay safe. A heartfelt thank you to all of those that are working over this period and for the continuous hard work you all undertake 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.

This week’s blog is written by Eve Smietanko, a senior lecturer on the PCDA programme and programme lead for Law and Criminology. Eve has been collating positive news stories around the Criminal Justice System in the hope that it will show you that the hard work you do is recognised and making a difference.

Over to Eve…

The good news stories

It can be easy as a police officer to feel that the world is a dark place, and that what you do, day in, day out, makes little difference. There is pressure from all sides to do things differently, decisions made in split seconds are scrutinised and analysed and every person has an opinion on what was done wrong. It can be easy to feel the weight of the world on your shoulders and to believe that world is awful; where the bad guys win and good guys get criticised. Does this all sound familiar?

Well you will find none of that here. This post is for good news. Take five and let me remind you of a few of the many positive, inspiring and hopeful stories that may have passed you by.

Support for firearms officers

In September many firearms officers laid down their weapons due to concern of how they would be treated if they did need to pull the trigger, and the impact this would have on their families. It was positive to see both leadership within policing, politics and the public standing by officers, who had chosen not to carry. Sir Mark Rowley wrote in an open letter to the (then) Home Secretary that ‘[armed officers] are extremely well trained’ and that ‘we have one of the safest models of armed policing in the world’ (Rowley, 2023).

Icon of two hands shaking in collaboration

Avon and Somerset armed officers have in recent weeks had praise from the public on a number of jobs they have dealt with courageously and professionally. There are many out there who see and acknowledge the huge responsibility that is placed on our officers to make life-changing decisions in a matter of seconds. You are appreciated.

Robber turned runner

Ever feel like you’re just churning people through the criminal justice system with no hope of any change? Thankfully this is not always the case. John McAvoy, who is now known for being a triathlete, previously served a lengthy prison sentence for armed robbery. Whilst in prison he began training hard in the gym and, with the encouragement of a prison officer, Darren Davis, started beating records. Since his time inside he has become a professional athlete, and more recently a mentor to young people.

McAvoy has teamed up with a charity, Youth Beyond Borders, to train, coach and support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to compete in trail running. There has long been an acknowledgement that nature, exercise and wellbeing are interlinked. Many of us take our ability to utilise the outdoors for granted but not all have this opportunity. As we know within policing and McAvoy surely knows himself, the connections you make in your childhood can have a huge impact, both positive and negative for the rest of your life. Despite McAvoy not having a great role model growing up, he is now trying to be one for young people across the country. It is worth remembering that he did not get to this point alone, he met encouragement and support along the way, like Darren Davis the prison officer. Without this he wouldn’t be where he is today helping other young people who could be in danger of making the same choices he once did. You too can be the difference.

Icon of stick male running

 The armed robber turned runner helping young people go straight – Positive News

John McAvoy interview: Former criminal turned Ironman (redbull.com)

Right Care, Right Person

When you ask most officers why they joined up they will say something along the lines of ‘to help people’. We know that being a police officer isn’t all about fighting crime but we also know that for many years now that the policing time and resource being put into mental health calls has been increasing. Dealing with people struggling with their mental health is becoming an increasingly common tasking. Whilst this is frustrating for officers it is potentially damaging for those who need mental health care and support. We do however appear to have reached the tide of change.

‘Right Care, Right Person’ (RCRP) was first introduced by Humberside Police in 2021 and since then has been rolled by a number of other forces throughout the country. The College of Policing has now issued national guidance on the scheme and the projections are that this could save up to a million police hours per year. This should mean that vulnerable people are getting the help they need and officers have more time available to them to investigate crime, build relationships with the community or any of the other invaluable actions you take.

Image of brain with neurons

Right Care Right Person – police adopt new national model re specialist care for health incidents – Policing News

Right Care Right Person (RCRP) national guidance launched | College of Policing

Court convictions

Over the last few months Avon and Somerset have got some great convictions at court. There have been several large-scale drugs convictions including eight men sentenced for a total of 36 years in relation to a county lines network. More recently three men have had their prison sentences for robbery increased.

Bristol robbers’ sentences increased | Avon and Somerset Police

Eight men sentenced for total of more than 36 years for drug offences | Avon and Somerset Police

Icon of scales of justice

It is easy for us to see the end result and forget about all the hard work that has gone on along the way. The big stories that hit the headlines often feel detached from the officers on the street but that couldn’t be further from the truth. It is those officers who gather intelligence, build rapport and begin the investigation when everybody else has gone to bed. In order to get a conviction at court, the silver thread of a quality actions has to be there throughout the investigation from beginning to end. It is with meticulous record-keeping, excellent decision-making and brilliant communication that people like those I have mentioned above have been put behind bars. It is also worth remembering that really, this isn’t the end goal. While the aim is to get a conviction, the purpose is to protect the public. To get drugs off the street, to allow people to run their business in peace, or whatever else it might be. Without our officers on the ground none of this would be possible.  

Good News from UWE

Icon of shining star

The PCDA has been subject of an Ofsted Inspection and an End Point Assessment Quality Inspection, both achieving ‘Good’ status. Our key partner Avon and Somerset Police (ASP) were ranked 75th in the Department for Education’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Providers and UWE 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. In addition, a PCDA apprentice won first prize for their research project at the 2023 Social Sciences Student Conference, evidencing academic excellence. In April 2023, Avon & Somerset Police celebrated growing from 2,835 operational officers to 3,393 since July 2019, exceeding the Uplift target and reflecting the popularity of the programme. Overall, the National Student Survey 2023 scores showed improvements in all areas of the PCDA programme in 2023 compared to 2022. The majority of areas saw double-digit increases compared to 2022. The programme is determined to build further on this positive direction of travel.

Our very own Dr Anne Eason – along with UWE colleagues Professor Kieran McCartan and Dr Sarah Senker – presented the early findings of their research at the NOTA conference this year.  Their research looked at how male perpetrators of sexual offences can be supported to address their own trauma. There will be more on this to follow in the year ahead. As well as this there are many other research and writing projects currently under-way in the Policing team which hopefully will be published and presented in 2024. Remember, your research journey doesn’t have to end with your dissertation! If there is more you would like to discover then keep in touch!

Information about Anne Eason, Keiran McCartan & Sarah Senker's early research findings presented to NOTA this year.

A final round-up

So there is my round-up. There are many stories I haven’t included, some because I haven’t got the word count and some because they have been told to me in confidence but take it from me, you are doing a fantastic job. Policing is difficult and it is easy to feel under-valued so on behalf of the many, many people who are grateful for what you do, I want to say thank you. You make the difference, and we know it.

Useful links

Avon and Somerset Police (2023) Bristol robbers’ sentences increased. Available from: https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/news/2023/11/bristol-robbers-sentences-increased/ [Accessed 18 Dec 2023].

Avon and Somerset Police (2023) Eight men sentenced for total of more than 36 years for drug offences. Available from: https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/news/2023/10/eight-men-jailed-for-total-of-more-than-36-years-for-drug-offences/ [Accessed 18 Dec 2023].

College of Policing (2023) Right Care Right Person (RCRP) national guidance launched. Available from: https://www.college.police.uk/article/rcrp-national-guidance-launched [Accessed 18 Dec 2023].

Eason, A & Senker, S. ‘Dual identity’ and the forgotten trauma in the histories of people who have sexually offended [research presentation to NOTA Conference] . Cardiff. 3 May. Available from:https://www.nota.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/NOTA-presentation.pdf [Accessed 18 Dec 2023].

Metropolitan Police Services (2023) Commissioner letter to Home Secretary 14 September 2023 [online]. Available from: https://news.met.police.uk/documents/commissioner-letter-to-home-secretary-14-september-2023-dot-pdf-434982 [Accessed 18 Dec 2023].

Policing News (2023) Right Care Right Person – police adopt new national model re specialist care for health incidents. Available from: Right Care Right Person – police adopt new national model re specialist care for health incidents – Policing News [Accessed 18 Dec 2023].

Positive News (2023) The robber turned runner helping young people stay on the straight and narrow. Available from: https://www.positive.news/lifestyle/sport/the-robber-turned-runner-helping-young-people-go-straight/ [Accessed 18 Dec 2023].

Red Bull (2023) The incredible story of John McAvoy, armed robber turned top triathlete. Available from: https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/john-mcavoy-from-iron-bars-to-ironman [Accessed 18 Dec 2023].

Editorial Team

Icon of paper plane for email

Paul Williamson (Joint Programme Leader & Senior Lecturer); Claudia McCready (Lecturer); Eve Middleton (Tripartite Assessor – Policing); 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

Tackling Domestic Abuse through 16 Days of Activism

Author Paul Williamson | Posted on

Today’s blog is written by Associate Director (Policing) Sarah Williams and reflects on the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (UN Women, 2023). This ends on December 10th (International Human Rights Day).

This annual campaign was first launched in 1991. Today, more than 30 years later, the World Health Organisation estimates that some 30% of women worldwide continue to experience violence of some sort (WHO, 2023). It can be tempting to underestimate the scale of the problem in the UK, but this would be a mistake.  A lot of violence against women and girls takes the form of domestic abuse and sexual offences and sadly both are prevalent here.

2.1 million people in the UK experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2023 (ONS, 2023a). That’s 2.1 million people who have been hurt in some way by those who they have (or had) close relationships with, be that a partner or a family member. And that’s before we think about those harmed in other ways – the children terrified by domestic abuse between their parents, the friends who see someone they care about slowly fade away, the parent who sees their adult child blame themselves for the abuse they suffer. Domestic abuse is a disease. It blights the lives of those it touches and ultimately it costs lives. There were 134 domestic homicides in the UK in 2022 (ONS, 2023b) and it can be a risk factor for suicide among victims (Devries et al, 2011; Keynejad, 2023).

Women are disproportionately affected by domestic abuse (ONS, 2023c), being twice as likely as men to experience it. Rape and sexual assault are also horrifyingly common. Based on data provided by the Office for National Statistics (ONS, 2023d), Rape Crisis believes that 1 in 4 women have been raped or sexually assaulted (Rape Crisis, 2023). Many of these rapes and assaults will take place in the context of a relationship.

So, what can we do about this persistent violence against women in the UK that continues to traumatise so many? The scale of the problem can feel overwhelming, but small steps can lead to big changes and there is something that we can all do. Voicing our support for those tackling violence against women and girls is a small step towards showing we will not tolerate it any longer. This year’s 16 Days of Activism asked people to do just that and to share the actions they are taking to tackle violence against women and girls. By spreading the word, we can share good practice, inspire others to do the same, and send a clear message to society that VAWG will not be tolerated. Let’s not stop after 16 days. Let’s keep up this vital work and continue the fight well into 2024.

UWE Bristol Policing tackling VAWG

UWE Bristol has played its own part in supporting the 16 Days of Activism initiative by being a signatory to an open letter sent by the Bristol Women’s Commission to local media (BWC, 2023). Along with many other local organisations, including UWE’s policing partner Avon & Somerset Police, the signatories have pledged to support local activism against VAWG and encourage other businesses, organisations and individuals to do the same. As part of its wider equality, diversity and inclusion approach, UWE Bristol also has its Speak Up campaign, aimed at creating an inclusive campus where everyone feels safe and where harassment, assault and discrimination will not be tolerated (UWE, 2023a and 2023b). This will continue long after the 16 days have ended.

Here on the policing programmes at UWE Bristol, we are tackling violence against women and girls through police education, making sure we include the latest developments in research, and policing and educational policy and practice. Among our recent changes we have:

  • Increased awareness of controlling and coercive behaviour and the barriers victims face when trying to leave an abusive relationship.
  • Included sessions on how trauma-informed practice can improve the experiences of victims and increase successful prosecutions.
  • Helped students explore how evidence-based research influences police practice and how this can help protect women and girls.
  • Incorporated greater awareness of the specific needs of those with protected characteristics or specific vulnerabilities.
  • Enhanced our sessions on understanding the dangers faced by victims of VAWG, exploring police techniques to identify and manage risk.
  • Placed a greater emphasis on digital evidence and investigative quality, and how maximising these can support evidence-led prosecutions that reduce the stress placed on victims.
  • Included more scenario-based teaching where policing students learn to apply what they have learned in our realistic simulation suite (UWE, 2023c).

We aren’t going to stop there. Policing at UWE Bristol takes a continuous improvement approach to its policing provision. We aim to help produce a new generation of police officers driven to tackle VAWG – officers who know how to manage offenders effectively, who understand the needs of victims, and who can use evidence-based approaches to intervene early. In doing so we hope to improve the lives of victims and survivors and contribute to the wider fight to prevent VAWG.

Unite to tackle VAWG

If you want to help us in the fight against VAWG, please circulate your own good work or show your personal support for the 16 Days of Activism and beyond by using the following hash tags on your social media: #NoExcuse, #16Days, #EndVAWG.

References

Avon & Somerset Police (2023) Avon and Somerset Police continuing to make the region a hostile environment for perpetrators of sexual harassment [online]. Available from: Avon and Somerset Police continuing to make the region a hostile environment for perpetrators of sexual harassment | Avon and Somerset Police [Accessed 5 December 2023].

Bristol Women’s Commission (2023) Open Letter for 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence 2023 [online]. Available from: Open Letter for 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence 2023 – Bristol Women’s Commission (bristolwomenscommission.org) [accessed 27 November 2023].

Devries, K., Watts, C., Yoshimama, M., Kiss, L., Schraiber, L.B., Deyessa, N., Heise, L., Durand, J., Mbwambo, J., Jansen, H., Berhane, Y., Ellsberg, M. & Garcia-Moreno, C. (2011) Violence against women is strongly associated with suicide attempts: Evidence from the WHO multi-country study on women’s health and domestic violence against women. Social Science and Medicine [online] Vol 73(1), pp.79-86. [Accessed 5 December 2023].

Keynejad, R.C., Paphitis, S., Davidge, S., Jacob, S., & Howard, L.M. Domestic abuse is important risk factor for suicide. British Medical Journal [online] Vol 379, pp.2890-2890. [Accessed 5 December 2023].

Office for National Statistics (2023a) Domestic abuse in England and Wales overview: November 2023 [online]. Available from: Domestic abuse in England and Wales overview – Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk) [Accessed 25 November 2023].

Office for National Statistics (2023b) Homicide in England and Wales: year ending March 2022 [online]. Available from: Homicide in England and Wales – Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk) [Accessed 5th December 2023].

Office for National Statistics (2023c) Domestic abuse victim characteristics, England and Wales: year ending March 2023 [online]. Available from: Domestic abuse victim characteristics, England and Wales – Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk) [Accessed 25 November 2023].

Office for National Statistics (2023d) Sexual offences in England and Wales overview:  year ending March 2022 [online]. Available from: Sexual offences in England and Wales overview – Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk) [Accessed 25 November 2023].

Rape Crisis (2023) Get Informed [online]. Available from: Get informed | Rape Crisis England & Wales [Accessed 5 December 2023].

UN Women (2023) 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence [online]. Available from: 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence | UN Women – Headquarters [Accessed 25 November 2023].

University of the West of England (2023a) Equality, diversity and inclusivity [online]. Available from: Equality, diversity and inclusivity – Our values, vision and strategy | UWE Bristol [Accessed 5 December 2023].

University of the West of England (2023b) Speak Up [online]. Available from: Speak Up – Stay safe on and off campus | UWE Bristol [Accessed 5 December 2023].

University of the West of England (2023c) Crime Scene Policing and Policing Space [online]. Available from: Crime Scene Science and Policing Space – Campus and facilities | UWE Bristol [Accessed 5 December 2023].

World Health Organisation (2023) Violence Against Women [online]. Available from: Violence against women (who.int) [Accessed 25 November 2023].

Editorial Team

UWE Policing blog 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

What’s your excuse?

Author claudiamccready | Posted on

This week’s blog is written by Senior Lecturer Micah Hassell, part of the UWE Bristol Policing Team. Micah has written a snapshot of his impressive career within Policing, so I won’t waste words repeating it. Part of that varied career includes time specialising on the Roads Policing Unit (RPU), where he dealt with serious and fatal road traffic collisions. Most of us have either been in an accident ourselves, or know of those that have been unfortunate enough to experience them.

2021 saw a 23% increase in deaths or serious injuries from accidents involving alcohol from the year before (ONS, 2023). In the same year, Avon and Somerset stated that alcohol was a factor in 1/3 of all their road traffic collisions (ASC, 2023). Each year local police forces run anti-drink and drug drive operations, educating and stopping drivers within their areas.

This festive period offers a poignant moment to consider the risks associated with driving under the influence, the impacts is has on loved ones and the services that attend to help. Over to Micah…

Image of Senior Lecturer, Micah Hassell wearing graduation robe and colours.

After starting a new role in May 2023 as a senior lecturer within the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship programme, I have been given a fantastic opportunity to deliver a programme of learning to newly appointed police officers to ensure their operational competence meets the highest standards expected within Policing (College of Policing, 2014). My core interests in policing extend to Police ethics and the causes of corruption after serving the latter part of my career within the Professional Standard Department, but some of the most interesting and demanding responsibilities I have experienced were related to road death and its causation whilst performing the role of senior investigating officer with the Roads Policing department.  As an ex Chief Inspector with 27 years operational Policing experience, I have investigated more than 120 collisions where a death has occurred and in 80% of those incidents’ intoxication has featured as a contributing factor to the cause of death.  Although this is somewhat of a grim topic of discussion, I wanted to bring into focus the impact drink driving has, to prompt a discussion about your thoughts and behaviours when it comes to making that decision about drinking and driving.

Lived experience

One of my last fatal road traffic investigations occurred during the summer months just after midnight where a single vehicle carrying four occupants collided head on with a lamppost. On my arrival I was confronted with an horrific scene. The driver had been ejected out of the vehicle and came to rest some distance in front of the vehicle and had tragically died from her injures. The front seat passenger was deceased, and two rear passengers were seriously injured. One rear passenger died at the scene and the final passenger made it to the hospital before sadly passing away hours later.  Almost immediately a strong smell of alcohol emanated from within the vehicle and those involved at the scene. I vividly remember that the speedometer on the vehicle had frozen at the point of impact and rested at exactly 31 miles per hour.  During my investigation it transpired from witnesses that the four friends had decided to take a risk because they wanted to travel to another local pub approximately 2 miles away. Unfortunately, they never made it, and their lives were taken forever leaving families, police officers and communities with questions to this day about the decisions they all made on that tragic night.

Why?

Did you know that in the past year one of your friends, relatives or work colleagues will drink and drive and could even be over the legal limit today? You might have even drank last night feeling worse for wear this morning, but drove into work unsure of whether you were actually over the prescribed legal limit, or you could have car shared knowing the person driving was feeling pretty poorly from the night before.  The reasons why people decide to drink and drive are complex, but more often than not the decision to use your car after drinking alcohol is done so with very little thought about the potential consequences that could occur. Government Statistics provide a comprehensive picture about the numbers killed or seriously injured on our roads within the UK…  

In 2021 alone, over 27,000 people were killed or seriously injured on our roads. 

In 2020, Police conducted over 46,000 roadside breath tests. Over 2,500 people failed these .

Department for Transport, 2022.

Alcohol as a factor

Qualitative research undertaken by Keatley et al, (2020) examined the reasons why people decide to drink and drive. After interviewing 83 participants between 18 and 64 years of age they identified five key themes that influenced their decision to drive after consuming alcohol. Unexpected reasons to leave the pub, peer pressure, only a short drive to the next destination, having an appointment they needed to be at and finally the effects of alcohol affected their judgement where they knew they should not drive, but carried on regardless. Most, if not all of us know about the effects of alcohol, but there are concerning gaps in a person’s ability to understand how much alcohol can be consumed or what strength of alcohol is contained within their drink.  In each case recognising what their chosen drink contains remains a mystery and, in many cases, presents a misunderstanding about what people can tolerate. In a study conducted by Walker et al, (2016), 209 University students were asked to rank in order of alcohol strength 10 alcoholic drinks. Their research highlighted that people could not judge the strength of alcohol within an alcoholic drink, but instead chose their selected drink preferring to use taste instead. The more appealing the taste the more likely a person would choose to drink it rather than consider the strength of alcohol.  This disparity highlighted the need to ensure more people should take a greater interest in the alcohol content of their preferred drink. There are also other studies undertaken by Stephens et al, (2017) that indicate people who worked full time or worked from home between 26 and 39 years old with  “High Risk consumption patterns”  are more likely to drink and drive, but also have a reduced perception about the risk of having a collision after consuming drink.

There are other causation factors that will always feature within any collision, but my lived experience has shown that alcohol contributes to the death of a high proportion of people who are involved in collisions. The example I provided at the beginning detailed the death of four friends travelling at the legal speed limit within 10 minutes of leaving a local pub, attempting to travel to another local pub a short distance away. You can see from this article that high risk drinking behaviours, having limited awareness of how strong your alcoholic drink is and only driving a short distance away all feature as contributing factors to causing road death. So before you decide to drink and drive think about the consequences of your actions and what excuse you are going to make before you get into the car!

Final reflections & the PCDA

Light bulb graphic with cog inside - reflection

The work of the PCDA team is extremely important. Within the operational competencies modules drink driving is taught throughout all three years. Legislation and exploring key prevention and detection strategies are all included.  Working alongside Avon and Somerset Police UWE’s 2030 Strategy provides an inclusive programme designed to solve the future challenges policing faces. It focusses on student development using some of the most experienced police officers and staff to support them; using some of the best facilities throughout the region and beyond. The reason I chose to apply for a job within UWE was because it not only boasted one of the best programmes in the country, it also centred their interests around my own teaching practice and development. It’s been a fantastic transition from policing into higher education. There are always opportunities for staff and students to be part of the PCDA journey where most modules run practical sessions to develop students offices as they progress through their degree if you want to get involved you can contact me or any of the PCDA team here.

Helpful Resources

Keatley, D. A. et al. (2020) Perceptions of drink driving legal limits in England: a qualitative investigation. Psychology, crime & law. [Online] 26 (8), 733–744. [Accessed 6 July 2023]

Stephens, A. N. et al. (2017) Alcohol consumption patterns and attitudes toward drink-drive behaviours and road safety enforcement strategies. Accident analysis and prevention. [Online] 98241–251. [Accessed July 2023]

Walker, S. et al. (2016) Estimates of the Absolute and Relative Strengths of Diverse Alcoholic Drinks by Young People. Substance use & misuse. [Online] 51 (13), 1781–1789. [Accessed 10 July 2020]

Editorial Team

Image of a paper plane to mean 'email' or 'send'

Paul Williamson (Joint Programme Leader & Senior Lecturer); Claudia McCready (Lecturer); Eve Middleton (Tripartite Assessor – Policing); 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

Becoming An Evidence-based Police Practitioner

Author Paul Williamson | Posted on

This week’s blog is written by UWE Bristol Policing programme Senior Lecturer Gary Stephens. Gary served in Avon & Somerset Police as a Detective Chief Inspector prior to joining UWE Bristol where he is the module leader for ‘Becoming an Evidence-based Police Practitioner’ on the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA).

There is general consensus that Evidence-based Policing (EBP) is the development of knowledge, which is shared to inform operational practice. Working together with Avon & Somerset Police we seek to blend the best of policing craft with the science of ‘what works’. This is important because traditional models of policing no longer appear to provide the answers to a lot of current and future policing problems. Having recently attended the Society of Evidence Based Policing (SEBP) annual conference, Gary reflects on the key learning from this event.

Society of Evidence Based Policing (SEBP) annual conference

Over the 9 – 10 November, the SEBP held their annual conference at the College of Policing in Ryton. The SEBP are insiders, they are predominantly police officers with day jobs who are committed to nurturing change from within their organisation by developing knowledge, practice and performance utilising Evidence Based Policing.

Attending the conference were UWE policing staff Associate Director Dr Anne Eason along with Senior Lecturer Gary Stephens. Amongst the over 130 other candidates were representatives from forces and organisations from around the country, and internationally, including Inspector Alecto Shyne and PS Sue Coates from the Avon and Somerset Inspection and Evidence Based Policing Team.

The title of the conference was:

The importance of focus: How can evidence based policing drive precision policing?

The conference was opened by the SEBP Chair T/Chief Constable Alex Murray of West Mercia Police who introduced the variety of speakers delivering presentations over the two days. A consistent theme was the importance of modern policing being data led and optimising the principle of ‘what works’.

The College of Policing are at the forefront in using evidence led policing and Director of Knowledge and Innovation Rachel Tuffin outlined recent developments, most notably the practice bank, which complements the longer standing Crime Reduction Toolkit. The practice bank shares crime prevention and community safety best practice initiatives developed across the country to assist officers in their own local problem solving.

Speakers spoke of subjects ranging from crime satisfaction, focused deterrence to using vetting data to understand the more prevalent characteristics of those who go onto be subject of gross misconduct proceedings. Whilst there was a wide range of speakers there was one consistent theme, the importance of using data to produce a deeper understanding of what works and to utilise this as evidence to inform practice.

So what did we take specifically from the two days?

The material from all speakers was valuable but what we found most interesting is how EBP is constantly developing and how we can all contribute to it. For example, we now know that, under certain conditions, hot spots policing works. One of these conditions is optimising the time officers (or PCSOs) are present in a given hot spot (The Koper curve theory). However, a study in Leicester based on hot spot patrolling areas of potential disorder has developed this principle further. In partnership with the Youth Endowment Fund youth outreach workers were employed to be in hot spot areas and engage with youths to prevent disorder. During this time they sought to engage those youths in diversionary interventions, something EBP tells us works. But to follow Koper’s 12-16 minute rule would not enable them to engage, so the patrols were extended, often in excess of 50 minutes, which allowed them to nurture conversations and engage with potential offenders.

The conference was closed by Professor Lawrence Sherman, the leading architect and proponent of EBP who outlined the need to move from the 3R’s (random patrol, rapid response, reactive investigation) toward the 3Ts (targeting, testing and tracking). As well as reflecting on where EBP was and where it is now he outlined his vision of the next steps for it. As Chief Scientific Officer for the Metropolitan Police he took an active role in an initiative that was recently launched to target the serious amount of violent harm against women and girls in London. With limited resources the police must focus their resources on those who present the most harm. A top 100 list, ‘the power few concentration’ was produced. Having identified the top 100, a key tactic used was application for Sexual Risk Orders. If the application is successful, this order places stringent conditions on subjects. In the short time since this initiative has been running an impressive 85% reduction in offending has been identified.

Professor Sherman suggested that future steps for EBP could be in adopting these principles of ranking and stacking relative risk, and further utilising the principle of the 3T’s, in categories such as repeat burglary, ASB 999 calls, police misconduct and others. If adopted this could lead to what he described as not doing more with less, somewhere policing has found itself in recent years, but doing less with more.

What can you do?  

  • Join the SEBP, it’s easy, just go online and join. You will receive regular e mails of evidence-led studies and initiatives and you will have access to all resources.
  • Look out for the posters around campus with QR codes you can click on to provide direct access to the practice bank amongst other resources.
  • Be that evidence led practitioner – it works! As a practitioner guided by evidence, integrate its effectiveness seamlessly into your daily operations for your specific purposes. Embrace the principles, customise them to your context, and employ them to focus on your objectives. Shift from perceiving it as an abstract concept; it’s increasingly becoming standard practice, and we need to fully harness the principles of EBP in contemporary law enforcement.

Editorial Team

Paul Williamson (Joint Programme Leader & Senior Lecturer); Claudia McCready (Lecturer); Eve Middleton (Tripartite Assessor – Policing); 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

Taking Youth Work Week 2023 as a moment to pause & reflect on our work with children.

Author claudiamccready | Posted on

Welcome to the latest UWE Policing blog, where we’re excited to celebrate Youth Justice Week. At UWE Bristol, we take immense pride in our commitment to cultivating a diverse and expert Policing Programme. As we delve into the important discussions surrounding youth justice, it’s crucial to acknowledge the ever-growing diversity within our teaching team.

This week’s additional blog is written by Claire Bowers in light of Youth Work Week 2023. Claire recently joined us as a Senior Lecturer and brings a wealth of experience and expertise of working in various fields reflecting the real-world complexity of policing in today’s society. With experiences ranging from community policing, probation and risk management to tackling international organised crime, our programme teaching team is uniquely positioned to equip our students with a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities in modern law enforcement.

As we celebrate Youth Justice Week, we invite you to explore the perspectives, insights, and initiatives shared by Claire.

Shining the spotlight on our staff…

Senior Lecturer, Claire Bowers joined UWE in 2023 having spent an impressive and varied career within the Criminal Justice System. Claire brings extensive experience in crime reduction initiatives, prisoner rehabilitation, and youth justice diversion and preventative work – including specialisms in safeguarding, harmful sexual behaviour and trauma informed working, as a Manager of North Somerset Youth Offending and Prevention Service. Claire is also a passionate advocate for young victims of crime and domestic abuse having managed Avon and Somerset’s Young Victims Service for four years. Claire holds two masters with distinction in Psychology and Criminology & Criminal Justice, and has a varied and expansive teaching career.

This week is Youth Work Week.

This week is Youth Work Week, and so it seems the perfect opportunity to shine a light on the important work carried out with children by the youth work sector, as well as taking a moment to contemplate the current challenges facing children and their families and our approach to working with them.

Blue icon of laptop and internet.

We are living in uncertain times, with the cost-of-living crisis, living through a pandemic and the rise of technology and social media to mention just a few. In their 2022 report, Barnados highlighted the top issues facing young people from a practitioners’ perspective. This included increasing mental health issues and insufficient support, poverty and financial instability, potential exposure to sexual exploitation and online abuse and lack of safety and cohesion in the home.

Blue icon of male. female and girl.

This is a very real threat for children as one in seven will have lived with domestic abuse at some point in their life (Radford, 2011) and domestic abuse related crimes increased 7.7% in 2022 (ONS, 2022). Every generation has its struggles, however, the children of today are facing a unique set of challenges. However, despite these concerns youth services such as youth clubs and youth workers have been cut by 69% since 2010 (Local Government Association, 2023) and children’s services have never been under more pressure. 

Representations

Blue icon of downwards statistics.

Negative representations of young people is commonplace (Guardian, 2004). However, the statistics show that youth crime rates have consistently been in decline for many years (ONS, 2022; ONS, 2023) . Most children are not involved in crime, and those who are, still spend much of their time leading law-abiding lives. Working with children can be challenging at the best of times, however it is a child’s job to push boundaries! Ask any parent coming towards the end of the summer holidays, let alone the police officer who is having to deal with repeated incidents of anti-social behaviour and disrespect. That being said, I am sure we can all reflect back and think of examples of behaviour from our younger selves that we would rather forget.

Working with children requires a specific attitude and skill set. Youth workers often adopt a PACE approach (Hughes, 2006). Standing for playfulness, acceptance, curiosity, and empathy, the focus is on building rapport and high-quality relationships. Maturation of the brain is not accomplished until 25 years old (Arain et. al, 2013).

The law is clear. The term ‘child’ is preferred practice for any young person below the age of 18 (CPS, 2023). A young person may well look and act as if they are an adult, but they are not and we must not treat them as such. Children that do come to the attention of the youth justice system should be seen as children ‘first’ and ‘offenders’ second” (CPS, 2023). This recognises that children may make mistakes, but this should be viewed through a rehabilitative lens, rather than a punitive one. Research outlined in the The Punishing Abuse report (Chard, 2021) argue that 9 in 10 children in the youth justice system are known or suspected to have been abused, with 7 in 10 having lived with domestic abuse (MOJ, 2013). Over 60% of people in youth justice estate have difficulties with speech, language or communication (Gateshead Council, date unknown).

Icon of 5 hands touching

Youth work emphasises education, mentorship and support to help guide children away from criminal behaviour and contribute to their positive development. The primary focus is on prevention, diversion and early intervention to avoid criminalisation of children.

What can we do to support young people?

So what can we do to support young people? In their book “the power of showing up” Dr Daniel Siegel and Dr Tina Bryson outline 4 fundamental needs for children. First children need to feel ‘safe’.  When children feel unsafe, they are not able to access their upper ‘thinking’ brain. They go into survival mode. Children who have experienced trauma may already be hypervigilant and struggling to self-regulate, having learned to always be on the lookout for danger. Once they know that they are safe, the young person has access to more resources to enable them to cope and manage their behaviour. Tone of voice and body language is key. Anxiety will be reduced by slow movements and a gentle voice.

The second factor is being ‘seen’. In children, behaviour is communication and language matters. Being curious about what is happening for a young person and viewing them through a trauma-informed lens helps us to help them. Are they ‘not engaging’ or do they simply not feel safe enough to engage?

‘Soothed’ is the third need and this is based on the adult- child interaction. Children need to learn how to self-soothe through modelling by adults. Letting children know that we are there for them and we want to connect with them is fundamental. This can be achieved through being calm, actively listening to them, showing empathy and offering strategies for ‘brain breaks.’ The final ‘S’ is ‘secure’. This means showing up for the child and being a ‘safe base’. It can take time for a young person to trust, especially if they have learnt that people let them down. Youth workers show reliability by agreeing a time and place to meet and ensuring that they are there every week, even if the young person is not. Over time, trust can be established and meaningful interactions can take place.

Blue icon of footprints.

It sounds like a cliché (or the lyrics from a famous song) but children literally are our future. Whilst youth work week specifically recognises and celebrates the achievements of youth workers in particular, these are not the only people that have an impact on a young person’s life. Police, teachers, social workers, and doctors to name but a few, all leave footprints on a young person’s journey. We all therefore have a responsibility to consider what type of imprint we want to make.

I will leave you with the words of trauma specialist, Dr Karen Treisman (2020):

“Every moment and interaction can be an intervention…can be change agents…Every moment has the potential to open a door or to close a door.”

Dr Karen Treisman, 2020.

Helpful Resources

Arain, M., Haque, M., Johal, L., Mathur, P., Nel, W., Rais, A., Sandhu, R., & Sharma, S. (2013). Maturation of the adolescent brain. Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment, 9, 449–461. https://doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S39776

Hughes, D. (2006). Building the bonds of attachment: Awakening love in deeply troubled children. Oxford: Jason Aaronson

National Youth Agency – Youth Work Week 2023

Editorial Team

Paul Williamson (Joint Programme Leader & Senior Lecturer); Claudia McCready (Lecturer); Eve Middleton (Tripartite Assessor – Policing); 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

Other Blogs

Guest blog by Tom Andrews: Reflections on the Degree Entry Route into Policing

Author Paul Williamson | Posted on

Introduction

In the ever-evolving landscape of police education, it is crucial for policing professionals, academics, and aspiring officers to gain a deeper understanding of the current and emergent trends.

This year, I had the privilege of meeting Tom at the Policing Education Conference at Liverpool John Moores University and he graciously agreed to contribute a blog post for UWE Bristol. Tom is a lecturer in Policing at Derby University and in this blog shares a personal perspective on his own educational and professional journey which offers a valuable reflection on the past, present, and future of police education.

As we navigate the shifting landscape of the Police Constable Entry Routes and new ‘optimisation curriculum’ it is imperative to consider the significance of continuous learning and how education can empower police officers to make a meaningful difference in their communities.

Tom’s blog provides a thought-provoking insight and valuable lessons for both those entering the profession and experienced officers seeking to enhance their skills and knowledge through the ‘Top Up’ degree at UWE Bristol (featured in a recent blog). It is a testament to the importance of building bridges between academia and the real world of policing, creating a network of professionals dedicated to advancing the field through education and innovation.

Over to Tom…

Tom’s reflections

I’m honoured to have been asked to complete this guest contribution to the UWE Policing Blog, after chatting with several of the excellent lecturers there. I’ve written quite a bit on both PoliceProfessional and PolicingInsight around my thoughts of the Police Entry Qualifications Framework (PEQF) aka the degree entry routes into policing. I wanted on here to do something different, and to share my own journey with those entering or undertaking the current entry routes, with my reflections. Like any good reflection, I will be framing this around a recognised model, and my personal favourite is Rolfe et al.’s (2001) model, both for its simplicity and requirement to look forward.

Tom Andrews – Lecturer in Policing at the University of Derby.

What?

I joined the police in 2008 (with a pre-existing degree in History) under an IPLDP+ scheme, during which I undertook the majority of my training at my force headquarters, but attended a local further education (FE) college once or twice a week in uniform but with no PPE or radio etc. There we would learn the more theoretical side of policing such a criminology, while we learned the legislation and policy aspects at force training school. Looking back, the learning delivered by the professional educators was by-and-large far more engaging than that delivered by training school; where the legislation was simply learnt by wrote. I even vividly remember (in the very early days of social media!) making comment about the boring training school aspect on Facebook, and receiving suitable words of advice from the training school sergeant…

After the initial six months classroom-based (force and college) learning, we would regularly return every three months or so for a week’s additional input from the college. During these weeks we were set essay and presentation assignments to write in our own time (no protected study leave at all). We also had a SOLAP to complete (FOC’s in today’s terms), where we had to write all the reports ourselves. No doubt this method of learning sounds very familiar to those of you reading this! That is a key reason why I am particularly vocal about maintaining the current routes, as they don’t represent a radical departure from some of the old ones!

I ‘graduated’ training with a Foundation Degree in Policing (at level 5, equivalent to finishing two years of university); with an option to pay for a further year’s study at our own expense, to complete a full degree in Criminology and Policing. (I didn’t take this up as I had a degree already and didn’t have the money to pay.)

So What?

At the time of my initial learning (I specifically don’t use the term training, as the FE college input took it beyond that into education / learning) and for long after, I simply couldn’t see the value or purpose of the FE input at all. I spent five years on response, where indeed the need for that wider knowledge around criminology and crime prevention was very limited. This was even more true at that time at the height of target-driven policing based around arrests and detections – at most it may have helped me classify some D&D’s as Section 5’s to gain a bonus detection.

It was when I applied for a job on neighbourhoods that some of my previous learning came from the dark recesses at the back of my head. Vague rumblings about a triangle for problem analysis, stemming from a problem-solving model with a girls name – yes, you guessed it, SARA and PAT! I dug out my old lecture notes (yes, I’d kept them in my loft, I know…) and brushed up on various aspects of criminology and crime prevention that might be useful for neighbourhood policing. I beat a field of several candidates at interview to land the job, and it was here, using my regained knowledge of criminology and specifically problem-solving, that I can honestly reflect on and state confidently, was where I had the most impact on society during my career. I didn’t just rush to jobs and put sticking plasters on situations as I had on response. I actually not only identified, but solved problems that were causing real issues to my local community.

My two most notable examples are using brand new powers (for 2014) under the Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 to issue Community Protection Notices to a local Urban Street Gang who were continually loitering on one street creating misery for the residents, and thereafter never seeing them again. Secondly, using the same pioneering powers, combined with obscure sections of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and crucially partnership working powers with Trading Standards, to execute warrants and seize and ultimately destroy tens of thousands of pounds worth of so-called ‘legal highs’ or new psychoactive substances; several years before they were made illegal. This latter operation saw me gain attention from police forces nationwide, and had the College of Policing’s ‘What Works’ centre or Going Equipped journal existed at this time, would have been written up on there. Neither of these I believe would have been possible without use of SARA and PAT, and the associated learning around multi-agency working I had undertaken at college.

Now What?

For various reasons I left the police in October 2020 as a sergeant on response. I loved the role, having responsibility for supervising other officers and making decisions. The part I loved the most however was developing those on my team – arranging training, attachments, and supporting applications for other departments for where they could make best use of their talents. I would also regularly take the various team members out with me on patrol, hosting informal one-to-one’s and also sharing some of my policing knowledge and experience. I even supervised three of the country’s first PCDA officers so learnt well the demands that operational and educational expectations place on them.

I ultimately realised that I preferred this part of the job to the actual policing part, whilst simultaneously recognising – through personal, local and national reasons – that policing was not in a healthy place. I wanted to be a part of that change. I therefore took a job up as a lecturer delivering the PEQF to new recruits. It was only a few weeks into the role that I realised that had I been taught half as much as new PEQF recruits were getting, I could have been an infinitely more effective officer. Ideas such as ‘vulnerability’ were only just being introduced into operational policing and I’d certainly never had any training on it. I had never heard of Adverse Childhood Experiences; I wasn’t aware of things such as cognitive biases and heuristics; I knew how to do a stop and search but not the impact the tactic has on various communities; and so on and so forth. What other departments did was largely a mystery to me and I certainly didn’t have opportunity to go on attachments to them.

I was initially sceptical of the PEQF, especially as an operational supervisor, but the more I have come to know about it and be involved in it, the more I passionately believe in it and advocate it from the mountain-tops. Are the current routes absolutely right? Of course not. Is going back to a pre-degree requirement a good move? Absolutely not. I’ve recently done two research studies with PCDA students and the general public that demonstrate that. And, as outlined, what does that even mean anyway – I’d rather have had a recognisable degree than a Foundation Degree, that even I don’t really understand what it means.

Editorial Team

Paul Williamson (Joint Programme Leader & Senior Lecturer); Claudia McCready (Lecturer); Eve Middleton (Tripartite Assessor – Policing); 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 paul.williamson@uwe.ac.uk

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