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Police right to stop 'openly Jewish' anti-semitism campaigner walking into pro-Palestinian march
Rishi Sunak's ‘shock and anger’ over clumsy comments by a police sergeant about an anti-semitism campaigner added to a hysterical...

Tom Wood
Apr 30, 20243 min read


Second wave of super-strong heroin is set to hit Scotland. We must not repeat 'War on Drugs' mistakes of the first in the 1980s
When the first wave of heroin hit Scotland in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the decision to concentrate on prosecutions, rather than...

Tom Wood
Apr 16, 20243 min read


Out Now - My Interview with the LA-Based Podcast 'Ill Repute' on the Murder of Edinburgh Sex Worker Sheila Anderson
My latest interview, with the Los Angeles based podcast Ill Repute (which is a history podcast that supports women’s rights but more...

Tom Wood
Apr 2, 20241 min read


'Ruxton - The First Modern Murder' Is My Publisher's Best Selling Book in 2023
I'm delighted that ‘Ruxton‘ is my publisher's bestseller in 2023 for the third year running. Hoping for a repeat in 2024 as the six part...

Tom Wood
Apr 2, 20241 min read


Hate Crime Act: Scotland can't legislate for tolerance when politicians fail to lead by example
Humza Yousaf’s efforts to make Scotland ‘Tory-free’ sit uneasily alongside legislation designed to tackle intolerance and bigotry. This...

Tom Wood
Apr 2, 20243 min read


Police Scotland's decision to stop investigating minor crimes is not shocking to former officers like me
Former police officer Tom Wood says prioritising which crimes to investigate has always been part of the job This is the topic of my...

Tom Wood
Mar 19, 20243 min read


My Article in 1919 Magazine's March Issue - Out Now
I made the front cover of this month's 1919 Magazine, with my article which reveals the bizarre tales of my early days as a beat cop in...

Tom Wood
Mar 12, 20241 min read


Police Scotland is being stretched thin by problems in NHS and social services
With many demands on officers’ time, it’s time to think about how much we are asking the police to do This is the subject matter of my...

Tom Wood
Mar 5, 20243 min read


Potholes, not air pollution, are the real problem with our roads
Air quality might be a pressing issue – but where is the ground-level approach to dealing with the state of the roads? This is my latest...

Tom Wood
Feb 20, 20242 min read


'Thawing the Cold Cases'...My latest article in 1919
I have written an interesting article for Scotland's 1919 magazine in their recently published February '24 issue. Police Scotland has an...

Tom Wood
Feb 8, 20241 min read


Idris Elba's knife crime campaign highlights the need to rediscover solutions to an age-old problem
Police tactics like stop and search can help but a long-term resolution requires social interventions, support for troubled families,...

Tom Wood
Feb 6, 20243 min read


Post Office Horizon IT scandal: How cost-cutting contributed to wrongful prosecutions
The vital ingredients of success in any endeavour – good people and good systems – went missing from the Post Office Read what I have to...

Tom Wood
Jan 23, 20243 min read


A Pertinent Piece I Penned on the Post Office Scandal Back in 2021 in The Scotsman
'Boris Johnson's Downing Street wallpaper a cruel distraction from plight of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and persecuted postmasters' To...

Tom Wood
Jan 10, 20243 min read


Edinburgh's Hogmanay street party: Why scrapping this world-renowned event would be a dangerous step
Safety concerns were one of the main reasons why Edinburgh’s original Hogmanay street party was set up 30 years ago Happy New Year to you....

Tom Wood
Jan 9, 20243 min read


The Best Christmas Gift! A Mention of My Book 'Ruxton' in World-Renowned Forensic Anthropologist Professor Dame Sue Black's Latest Best Seller 'Written in Bone'
I was delighted to be given a copy of Professor Dame Sue Black's latest best seller book 'Written In Bone: Hidden Stories In What We...

Tom Wood
Jan 9, 20241 min read


Police Scotland faces the greatest challenge of its ten-year existence
After a challenging year for Scottish justice, 2024 could be even worse for some in the sector This is my latest Scotsman column...

Tom Wood
Dec 27, 20233 min read


Police Scotland Chief Constable Jo Farrell: Row over long ride home in a police car...
missed the real scandal The fact that there were only two traffic cars on duty for the whole of Lothian and Borders shows just how...

Tom Wood
Dec 12, 20233 min read


Police Scotland has solved every single homicide case except one amid a remarkable fall in killings
‘Violence reduction’ approach has had a dramatic effect on the number of murders and other killings in Scotland and those responsible are...

Tom Wood
Nov 28, 20233 min read


Pro-Palestinian protest march: Police officers know that banning demonstrations is a bad idea
Politicians should avoid interfering in operational matters like the policing of a pro-Palestinian demonstration in London. This is the...

Tom Wood
Nov 14, 20233 min read


Beware back police office cuts. They can have unforeseen and tragic consequences
There is always a price to pay for cost-cutting.... Read what I have to say on this in my latest column, out in today's Scotsman (31...

Tom Wood
Oct 31, 20233 min read
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