In this episode, Police Oracle's Deputy Editor Clive Hammond chats to Dr Ashley Frayling, a senior lecturer in criminology at the University of Exeter. Alongside this role, Dr Frayling is also the Specials Chief Officer at Devon and Cornwall Police, and in October marks 20 years working as a Special. She discussed what first attracted her to becoming a Special, how the position helped academically and how she manages to balance life as a lecturer and on the frontline. This episode of Talking Blues was presented by Clive Hammond and produced by Sam Spreadborough.

On this episode of Talking Blues, Police Oracle's Deputy Editor Clive Hammond talks to Steve Gibbs, the East of England Team Manager for charity The For Baby's Sake. The organisation helps officers attending domestic abuse scenes when young children are involved. Here, Steve reflects on how important it is to get the right training for officers and why their presence can be vital for parents in danger. This episode of Talking Blues was presented by Clive Hammond and produced by Sam Spreadborough.

In this episode of Talking Blues, Police Oracle's Deputy Editor, Clive Hammond, caught up with Rachel Kearton, Suffolk Constabulary's chief constable. During their chat, CC Kearton reflected on her career and why she has decided to retire from policing. This episode of Talking Blues was presented by Clive Hammond and produced by Sam Spreadborough.

On this episode of Talking Blues, Police Oracle's Deputy Editor Clive Hammond catches up with Alex Franklin-Smith, the former chief constable of Warwickshire Police. Mr Franklin-Smith talks about why he decided to leave the force before reaching the retirement age, and how social media influenced the decision. This episode of Talking Blues was presented by Clive Hammond and produced by Sam Spreadborough.

In the latest episode of Talking Blues, Clive Hammond, Deputy Editor of Police Oracle, catches up with Rachel Watson, the Director General of the Independent Office for Police Conduct. The discussion centred around how the police complaint system operates, what officers can expect during an investigation and just how challenging the fast-tracked investigation into officers at Charing Cross police station, who were filmed during a BBC Panorama documentary in 2025, was. This episode of Talking Blues was presented by Clive Hammond and produced by Sam Spreadborough. 

Police Oracle's Deputy Editor Clive Hammond caught up with the Isle of Man Constabulary's Chief Constable, Russ Foster, discussing his career and why island life makes policing there so unique. It comes as the force looks to share how roles in the region can be both professionally rewarding, with exposure across the full spectrum of operations, alongside a work-life balance that brings safety and a quality of life that is increasingly difficult to find in larger jurisdictions. Find out more about the opportunities by contacting PoliceJobs@gov.im.

This episode of Talking Blues was presented by Clive Hammond and produced by Sam Spreadborough.

This month, Police Oracle's Deputy Editor Clive Hammond was joined by Commander Stephen Clayman, who is the National Police Chiefs’ Council national lead for knife crime. In April, the National Knife Crime Centre was launched to support the police in delivering the Government's ambition to halve knife crime over the next 10 years. Cdr Clayman led a significant review into how knives are sold online, identifying gaps in legislation that could prevent them from being sold illegally to under-18s. Here, Cdr Clayman discussed the findings of that review, as well as how the centre will help shape the policing of illegal knife selling for the next generation.

This episode of Talking Blues was presented by Clive Hammond and produced by Sam Spreadborough.

Find out more about the report here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-end-to-end-review-of-online-knife-sales/independent-end-to-end-review-of-online-knife-sales-accessible

Last month, the Road Safety Trust (RST) marked its 10th anniversary, publishing an independent study outlining how the charity's funding has helped build the evidence base for safer roads across the UK. Police Oracle's Deputy Editor, Clive Hammond, caught up with Chief Constable Jo Shiner, National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Roads Policing and RST board member, and the charity's Chief Executive, Ruth Purdie OBE. This episode of Talking Blues was presented by Clive Hammond and produced by Sam Spreadborough.

In the latest episode of Talking Blues, Police Oracle's Deputy Editor, Clive Hammond, catches up with officers from Greater Manchester Police's Response Team to understand what life is like in the unit. This episode of Talking Blues was presented by Clive Hammond and produced by Sam Spreadborough.

After nearly 40 years, Sir Andy Marsh, the College of Policing's CEO, has been part of a revolutionary period in policing - and seen personal challenges too. Here, Sir Andy talks to Police Oracle's Deputy Editor, Clive Hammond, about the highs and lows of the sector, and speaks openly regarding how he dealt with a cancer diagnosis while working. This episode of Talking Blues was presented by Clive Hammond and produced by Sam Spreadborough.

Police Oracle's Deputy Editor, Clive Hammond, catches up with Stephen Russell, Director of Data, Strategy and Technology at Warwickshire Police. With the new policing reform white paper set to revolutionise policing, Stephen discussed what it means for officers and how technology could change how the sector operates. This episode of Talking Blues was presented by Clive Hammond and produced by Sam Spreadborough.

For more than 30 years, Lucy D'Orsi has worked tirelessly in policing, rising through the ranks to her current post as Chief Constable of British Transport Police, a title she's held since 2021. To mark the fifth anniversary of her appointment, CC D'Orsi sat down with Police Oracle's Deputy Editor, Clive Hammond, to discuss why she decided to get into policing and how the sector has changed since she first joined it in 1992. This episode of Talking Blues was presented by Clive Hammond and produced by Sam Spreadborough.

To mark International Women's Day, Police Oracle's Deputy Editor, Clive Hammond, caught up with Lisa Winward, the former chief constable of North Yorkshire Police. The pair discussed Lisa's three decades in policing and why supporting officers' mental health was vital to her leadership. 

This episode of Talking Blues was presented by Clive Hammond and produced by Sam Spreadborough.

In this episode, Police Oracle's Deputy Editor, Clive Hammond, catches up with Becky Riggs, Staffordshire Police's Acting Chief Constable, the NPCC’s Lead for Child Protection and Abuse Investigation. They speak at this year's CSAE Disruption Conference, discussing how these types of investigations have changed in the three decades since ACC Riggs joined policing.

The episode was presented and recorded by Clive Hammond, and produced by Sam Spreadborough.

Police Oracle's Deputy Editor, Clive Hammond, talks to Simon Megicks, Cambridgeshire Constabulary's Chief Constable, about his career and how policing has influenced his life.

The episode was presented and recorded by Clive Hammond, and produced by Sam Spreadborough.