This information has been directly sourced from the article available here.

"Policing Insight's publisher, Bernard Rix, sets out details of our new international advisory board. The board's first task will be to guide our team over the coming weeks on generating and publishing the most useful content on policing's response worldwide to coronavirus covid-19, whilst ensuring that we avoid imposing any burden on operational police officers and staff."

For more information regarding the exact changes to the international advisory board read the full article here.

This information has been directly sourced from the publication available here.

Inter-Agency standing committee have published an interim guidance for COVID-19 that focuses on persons deprived of their liberty.

The guidance aims to manage the risks associated with the virus in places of detention to prevent it not entering and spreading within.

It also aims to ensure that all the measures taken uphold human rights for those in the detention centres.

For more information read the full guidance here.

This information has been directly sourced from the WHO publication here.

WHO/Europe has published interim guidance on how to deal with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in prisons and other places of detention, entitled “Preparedness, prevention and control of COVID-19 in prisons and other places of detention”.

The guidance provides useful information to staff and health care providers working in prisons, and to prison authorities. It explains how to prevent and address a potential disease outbreak and stresses important human rights elements that must be respected in the response to COVID-19 in prisons and other places of detention.

To read the full interim guidance visit here.

Access the full article here.

With the spread and effects of COVID-19 worsening daily, many police forces are being called upon to assist with the challenges the virus is presenting.

Professor Karl Roberts for Policing Insight outlines the various roles and responsibilities police have in this pandemic as well as the challenges they will face and further suggests approaches they should consider.

Police are facing challenges due to the lack of laws they need to enforce as well as the rapidly changing situation the pandemic is producing. They also have to be extra vigilant in order to ensure their health is not compromised by people who may be infected by the virus.

For more information regarding police roles during this pandemic read the full article here. 

 

The Ontario Provincial Police Independent Review Panel have published their final report which can be found here.

It was established to examine the OPP's workplace culture and how they address mental health and suicide issues amongst its members.

The issues facing the OPP with respect to wellness and workplace culture include: Leadership, trust and credibility, isolation, the current wellness programs and services, identity and stigma, family relationships, administration and organizational pressures, and recruitment and promotional policies and practices.

The report outlined 15 recommendations to be made to the OPP in order to assist in improving members mental health and workplace culture.

Read the full report here.

The information below is directly sourced from this article published in the Irish Examiner.

Confusion surrounding Garda's roles in enforcing COVID-19 quarantine directions.

Garda HQ has asked the attorney general for legal clarification around powers of arrest in relation to people diagnosed as positive for the virus but not obeying quarantine.

This comes as Garda is stepping up attempts in order to keep the community safe and minimise the spread of COVID-19 amongst members of the community.

This will be visible through increased patrols and vehicles on the road.

In order to read the full original article visit here.

COVID-19 has now been declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO).

According to WHO, a pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly. It is a word that, if misused, can cause unreasonable fear, or unjustified acceptance that the fight is over, leading to unnecessary suffering and death.

Describing the situation as a pandemic does not change WHO’s assessment of the threat posed by this virus. It doesn’t change what WHO is doing, and it doesn’t change what countries should do.

For more information regarding the situation please visit WHO's website here.

As coronavirus is spreading worldwide, many nations have begun talks surrounding the potential need for lockdowns but the question is what role would police have in enforcing these lockdown to control spread of the virus.

Steven Morris in the Guardian suggests that lockdowns in he UK would begin as voluntary but if necessary police and other law enforcement agencies might be called in to assist. They would be called in to enforce road or building closures with potential for the military to be called in for assistance if matters escalated. 

This information has been sourced from Steven Morris' article published in the Guardian.

Read the full article here.

The International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law is pleased to announce that the 2020 conference will be held from July 13 - 16 in Vancouver, Canada.

The ISRCL 2020 Conference focuses on sentencing, corrections and innovative approaches to criminal justice. The theme "Thinking Beyond the Bars" will feature presentations from counsel, the academic community and members of the judiciary from around the world, including Australia, the United States, Scotland, Nigeria, and Indonesia.

The Conference will feature emerging issues such as:

• Neuroscience in Sentencing
• Drug Courts
• Young Offenders
• Restorative Justice
• Victims' Rights
• Current Issues in Corrections
• Indigenous Courts

Early bird pricing: register before March 31st, 2020

Visit here for more information regarding the conference and registration.

Publication directly sourced from the College of Policing.

Read the original publication here.

In February 2018 the College of Policing, Public Health England, National Police Chief's Council and others signed up to the Policing, Health and Social Care consensus. We committed to working better together on prevention and early intervention, recognising that the majority of police work is rooted in complex social need. One way of doing this is taking a public health approach in policing.

As we have worked together to implement the Policing, Health and Social Care consensus, a frequent question has been, "what exactly do we mean by a public health approach in the context of policing?".

Working closely with Public Health England, we have compiled a discussion paper to explore this. There is no single answer or a one-size-fits-all approach, and it is not always expressed in the same way. However, we have chosen to highlight five core elements that make up public health approaches:

• Starting with populations (rather than individuals)
• Seeking to understand and address the causes of the causes
• Championing prevention
• Intelligent use of data and evidence base
• Organisations working in partnership with each other and communities

Following on from this publication, we have committed to developing practical principles to help frame local implementation. We know there is already lots of good work going on in local partnerships – we would love to hear what you're already doing, and what would help you to develop that further.

Public Health approach discussion paper

Public health approaches executive summary

Read the original publication here.