Evidence-based writing on policing, public policy, and the occasional historical puzzle. By Nathan Tracey.https://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/en-gbhttps://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/police-policy/joining-the-dots-what-palantir-means-for-british-policing/https://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/police-policy/joining-the-dots-what-palantir-means-for-british-policing/A CIA-seeded American data firm has moved from the edge of UK public-sector IT to a structural position inside defence, health and, increasingly, policing. What has actually been bought, what the software does, and why it is contested.Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/police-policy/the-drug-thats-already-here-what-nitazenes-mean-for-british-policing/https://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/police-policy/the-drug-thats-already-here-what-nitazenes-mean-for-british-policing/Synthetic opioids have landed in the UK. What nitazenes are, why they are more dangerous than the heroin they are displacing, and the strategic, tactical and operational picture for policing.Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/police-policy/what-open-source-research-can-tell-us-about-missing-people-in-britain/https://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/police-policy/what-open-source-research-can-tell-us-about-missing-people-in-britain/Around 170,000 people are reported missing in the UK each year, yet most of what the public sees is a thin, skewed sliver of that total. This piece assesses what open-source research can actually offer—and where it misleads.Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/public-policy/should-britain-drill-baby-drill-the-north-sea-question-in-plain-english/https://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/public-policy/should-britain-drill-baby-drill-the-north-sea-question-in-plain-english/A 10-minute read on whether ramping up oil and gas extraction would actually fix anythingWed, 29 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/police-policy/do-you-understand/https://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/police-policy/do-you-understand/When comprehension, shame, and social pressure hinder a fair processWed, 07 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/other/cracking-the-somerton-man-code/https://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/other/cracking-the-somerton-man-code/Not my normal type of work, but its Christmas and I need a hobby :)Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/police-policy/the-legal-aid-paradox/https://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/police-policy/the-legal-aid-paradox/The suspects who most need legal advice in police custody are the least likely to request it. This uncomfortable truth undermines one of PACE 1984's core protective mechanisms. Current data shows…Tue, 21 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/police-policy/policing-the-police-why-the-small-stuff-matters/https://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/police-policy/policing-the-police-why-the-small-stuff-matters/When a police officer is finally dismissed or even convicted for gross misconduct, how often do their colleagues quietly nod and say something like, “I saw that coming”? More often than we’d like…Tue, 09 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/police-policy/the-hidden-crisis-how-police-burnout-threatens-officer-safety-and-public-trust/https://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/police-policy/the-hidden-crisis-how-police-burnout-threatens-officer-safety-and-public-trust/Police burnout isn’t just an occupational hazard — it’s a critical public safety issue that directly increases the risk of excessive force and threatens community trust. 83% of officers report…Tue, 29 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/police-policy/when-police-stop-investigating-crime-the-fuel-theft-crisis-hurting-british-policing/https://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/police-policy/when-police-stop-investigating-crime-the-fuel-theft-crisis-hurting-british-policing/Imagine reporting a crime with crystal-clear CCTV footage, the suspects vehicle registration, and precise timestamps—only to receive a text message hours later saying "case closed, no suspect…Tue, 17 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/police-policy/the-officers-were-losing-why-british-policing-must-rethink-cognitive-diversity/https://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/police-policy/the-officers-were-losing-why-british-policing-must-rethink-cognitive-diversity/British policing faces a talent paradox rarely discussed at command level.Tue, 06 May 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/public-policy/when-seeing-is-no-longer-believing-the-ai-generated-content-threat-to-criminal-justice/https://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/public-policy/when-seeing-is-no-longer-believing-the-ai-generated-content-threat-to-criminal-justice/All images and video have been generated for the purposes of this article and does not depict real people or events.Tue, 25 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/police-policy/boosting-public-confidence-through-neighbourhood-policing/https://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/police-policy/boosting-public-confidence-through-neighbourhood-policing/Neighbourhood policing, when delivered to a high standard, produces “quick, large and sustained increases” in public confidence and demonstrates measurable crime reduction outcomes. The College of…Tue, 18 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT