Thinking differently about crime and government
I've written a few things on current policing challenges recently, partly with a view to supporting and influencing the Home Affairs Select Committee's current enquiry into policing: A plea for HMIC and others to clarify which types of 'rationing' in policing are acceptable and which are … Read More»
Yesterday's report and the data behind the headlines The more time passes, the more intrigued I am about why Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary (HMIC) decided to go so hard on their message about police performance when they published their annual report yesterday. The top line data in their … Read More»
I've written two articles that I will be sharing with the Home Affairs Select Committee's enquiry into 'The Future of Policing' for PolicingInsight. They can be read if you register, but should also be available soon when the Committee publishes the submissions received. The first of these looks … Read More»
Five priorities for the world's justice systems In part one and two of this series, I examined the array of pressures that developed country justice systems are likely to face in the coming year – and argued that most countries find themselves overwhelmed, despite falling crime rates. In 2017, … Read More»
In part one of this 3-part blog, I put forward some thoughts on how shifts in patterns of crime might affect governments in the coming year. But the truth is that many countries will still be predominantly focused on coping with the consequences of past policy decisions and tightening budgets. This … Read More»
In this article, the first of three part series, I've looked at what 2017 might have in store for crime and justice practitioners. This piece (part one) examines crime trends, part two examines policy problems, and part three offers some priorities for governments and practitioners... What's in … Read More»
In a recent piece for WIRED Magazine, I explore the role of technology in crime reduction to date and take a look at future dangers and opportunities. The work for this piece left me thinking about the critical question of the ensuring businesses, government (and its various agencies) and citizens … Read More»
Pleased to have been mentioned as one of the top books of 2016 in the "thought" category by the Sunday Times' James McConnachie. The winner was Shrinking Violets, in which "Joe Moran tells intimate stories of lives shaped by shyness: Dirk Bogarde's intense stage fright; Alan Turing's crippling … Read More»
In 1961, a man named Clarence Kelley retired from the FBI and soon after took up the job of leading the Kansas City Police Department. He joined the department at a tricky time. Crime had started to tick upwards across the United States, and as the decade progressed, Kansas and other police forces … Read More»
Today is World Mental Health Day, a chance to celebrate the fact that large parts of society now recognise the that mental health problems are prevalent and as 'normal' as physical health problems - and to encourage the demise of the sometimes fatal taboos around talking about mental health … Read More»