Leadership & Culture
What is Police Reform and will it make a difference?
What is police reform? Explore England and Wales’s 2026 proposals, recent reports, reform leaders and lessons from Scotland and Andy Wooff’s research.
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Topic
Accountability and oversight
The bodies and processes that hold policing to account.
7 articles · All topics →
Evidence & Practice
Police complaints, the IOPC and local forces: who does what?
What is the IOPC? How do you complain about the police or check your local force? A plain-English guide to policing bodies and their latest verified reports.
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Evidence & Practice
Before Serious Misconduct: Can Police Data Identify Harmful Team Cultures Earlier?
Can complaints, use of force, driving standards and misconduct data identify harmful police team cultures earlier? Research on peer effects and Operation Hotton suggests forces should test the possibility.
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Evidence & Practice
AI in policing: what leaders should check before approving a tool
A practical approval checklist for police leaders: test accuracy, check data handling, assign accountability and make human oversight work.
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Evidence & Practice
PoliceAI: What is it, why do we need it, and who runs it?
In June 2026 the government launched PoliceAI, a national centre to develop and scale artificial intelligence across the 43 forces of England and Wales. This is a working guide for leaders — what the institution is, the platforms underneath it, and the questions worth asking before any of it reaches your force. Built to grow as the picture does.
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Influential People
Robert Peel and the Meaning of Policing by Consent
Robert Peel created the Metropolitan Police in 1829, but the nine 'Peelian principles' were not written by him. What the history actually supports — and why policing by consent remains a useful test of legitimacy.
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Leadership & Culture
Henry Nowak Murder: What the Court Found and What the IOPC Is Investigating
Henry Nowak’s murder: the sentencing findings, the IOPC investigation into two officers and the questions about urgent care, police decisions and accountability.
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