Podmasters has launched Crime Scene, a new podcast hosted by Ex-Met Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe and former Mirror editor Alison Phillips.
Each week, the two hosts, with decades experience of criminal investigation, go deep into major cases and how they were solved.
The pair sit down to examine real cases – from gang hits to manhunts to fraud, extortion and drug trafficking – and explain what really goes on.
How do police commence an investigation? What happens when they face a wall of silence from witnesses who may be intimidated – or implicated? How do covert intelligence, profiling and forensics come together to bring the culprits to justice? And when it all reaches court – does media coverage of major cases hit the right spot between information, sensationalism and fearmongering?
As Met Commissioner from 2011-17 Bernard Hogan-Howe oversaw policing a critical terror threat, the phone-hacking scandal and the Olympics plus the response to the worst riots in modern English history – crime in London fell by 18% during most of his time in office.
“In nearly 40 years of policing I have seen many awful and wonderful things. I’ve always believed in fighting crime and keeping people safe. I am looking forward to sharing my insight and details from the vocation I loved,” he says.
Journalist Alison Phillips edited the Mirror from 2018-2024, becoming its first female editor since its first editor in 1903. At the newspaper, she scored the scoop of the decade by exposing Dominic Cummings’ trip to Barnard Castle during lockdown. She is a regular commentator on BBC1’s Politics Live and ITV’s This Morning.
“Crime is endlessly fascinating to the public and it’s a huge part of the media we consume,” she says. “Audiences want to understand more about the causes of particular crimes and what really goes on behind the scenes. I am thrilled to be working with Bernard to help listeners gain that insight, understanding and inside track.”
New episodes of Crime Scene – with Bernard Hogan-Howe and Alison Phillips are released every Thursday on most podcast platforms.
