Thinking About Policing
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Topic
Visible, local, relationship-based policing and the evidence on what it delivers.
10 articles · All topics →
A shop theft or an anti-social behaviour incident can provide a lawful opportunity to interrupt much more serious offending. Police should assess that opportunity against the harm caused by the person, as well as the offence in front of them.
What is police reform? Explore England and Wales’s 2026 proposals, recent reports, reform leaders and lessons from Scotland and Andy Wooff’s research.
Public Space Protection Orders are being used against sexual harassment in Bradford and London. They make local enforcement possible, but evidence that they reduce harassment remains limited.
What procedural justice means for UK policing: four principles, evidence on trust and crime, and practical ways to improve stop and search and supervision.
Compare Guardian police headlines with public confidence data, inspect the method and understand why the two trends cannot establish causation.
A practical guide to Community Protection Notices, civil injunctions, Criminal Behaviour Orders and closure powers in England and Wales — including what is in force now, what the Crime and Policing Act 2026 changes, and where Respect Orders fit next.
Martyn's Law is enacted but not yet in force. Here is what the 2025 Act requires, what changed in 2026, and what police and venues should do before commencement.
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.
The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee combines named local policing, visible presence and hot-spots patrol. These can support confidence and crime reduction, but the evidence points to different mechanisms and measures for each.
The evidence supports neighbourhood policing as a route to higher public confidence, but visibility alone is not enough. The strongest model combines targeted presence, community engagement and problem-solving — and requires forces to protect the capacity to deliver all three.
