NEW IDEAS PUT IT IN THE BANK


A new online bank of knowledge aims to transform the sharing of information at the College of Policing


it’s a game-changer.” The bank includes tactics to tackle


Have you done something to tackle crime or improve policing that worked for you, but it didn’t get picked up by other officers or forces? People praise police for being resilient, but often the innovative ideas that officers raise are overlooked, even if they can have a wider impact. These ideas need to be shared and picked up elsewhere. Police forces and criminal justice partners across the country develop new tactics, approaches, and interventions to reduce crime and keep people safe. However, this work is often carried out in isolation, which means others are missing out on opportunities to learn about new ways to support their communities. For the first time in policing, a national bank where you can store your ideas, tested and untested, has been created. This means you and your colleagues can benefit from sharing new and unique tactics. The bank is on the College of Policing website, so everyone working in criminal justice and community safety can share tactics, approaches, and interventions to help reduce crime. The tactics include non-sensitive information, with an option to contact the officer or force directly for more information. It will complement the existing What Works Centre but, uniquely, the bank will include examples that haven’t worked or are not tested. This means officers can save time by not


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recreating ideas that will not deliver, or can trial approaches that show early signs of success. Rachel Tuffin, Director at the College of


Policing, described the bank as a game- changer for policing. “Every day, policing is trying new ideas and developing brilliant strategies to cut crime, but we’re often too busy to share this knowledge with others. Now the College’s practice bank will allow you to quickly and easily see what others are trying for the biggest issues on your patch, and you can upload your own ideas.” The bank already includes tactics


and strategies that have been tried by individuals, forces or other organisations with an interest in reducing crime, and there has been a wide range of involvement, including from HMICFRS, PCCs, and Public Health Wales. “Many of the


practices are ground- breaking, and I’ve enjoyed reading about work on issues from domestic abuse right through to road safety,” said Rachel. “The Practice Bank is easy to use and has ideas and tactics written by officers, for officers – so


burglary, homicide, and violence against women and girls, and there are many more being collected ready to be added. Alongside crime prevention, there are strategies for officer recruitment and staff retention. All tactics are clearly labelled as something that has worked, is promising, new/innovative, or didn’t work. Where possible, tactics will be linked to the crime reduction toolkit, so officers can be confident their plans are evidence-backed. You can share a practice example easily by completing an online form – your tactic just needs to have been delivered, it doesn’t have to be evaluated yet. The College of Policing will contact you 12 months after publication to ask for updates, and check if you consent to continue to share details online. You can access ideas that have been tried in a force, reviewed jointly by the College of Policing, HMICFRS and the National Police Chiefs’ Council, in the ‘Smarter Practice’ category. The College of Policing publishes practice examples in its quarterly operational magazine, Going Equipped. These articles are written and reviewed by officers, staff, and volunteers from all roles and ranks, sharing their experience and ideas on good practice and emerging issues in operational policing.


Visit the practice bank at: www.college.police.uk/support-forces


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