Why poor technology investments are undermining modern policing policy

By Will Hitch, Public Safety Lead (UK & Ireland) for Getac UK Ltd

Modern policing finds itself at a decisive point. On one hand, the depth and breadth of technology available has never been greater, but on the other, the challenges associated with effectively implementing it are at an all-time high.
    
Technology has always played a key role in policing. From the emergence of fingerprinting in the early 20th century, to the first successful use of DNA evidence in 1986, breakthroughs in technological innovation have often facilitated major leaps forward in police efficiency and crime reduction. Today, the use of CCTV, facial recognition, UAV and ANPR are commonplace, as forces up and down the UK increasingly look to harness technology to counteract resourcing challenges and an increasingly exacting policing landscape.

In particular, there’s growing emphasis on promoting proficient ‘Techcraft’ amongst officers- which combines digital technology with traditional police fieldcraft to optimise results. However, while most officers are adept at using technology and are highly competent at their jobs, forces are struggling to combine the two together in the most effective way. 

Outdated technology is holding forces back
There are several reasons for this, chief among them being an over reliance on outdated technology infrastructure and field devices. Public sector funding is always a challenge and policing is no exception. But as a result, local level investment in new IT equipment has failed to keep pace with modern technology standards, to the point where officers out in the field can be using equipment that’s significantly outdated compared to the technology they use in their personal lives.

In a recent study by Policing Insight, 55% of the 4,000 police officers questioned said they were not satisfied with their force’s ICT provision, while just 50% said the information on their force’s systems could be relied upon. 

Stats like this paint a sobering picture for police services up and down the country.  When officers lose faith in their equipment, not only do they become more reluctant to use it, but (with the best intentions) they can seek non-sanctioned alternatives, which puts sensitive evidence and data at risk in the process. 

Further adding to this issue is a general reluctance amongst leadership teams – some of whom still see technology as a source of risk rather than opportunity – to commit the necessary levels of budget needed to bring front line equipment up to date. In many cases, this is due to fear of making an expensive mistake, but mindsets like this only serve to exacerbate the ongoing problem. 

Overly ambitious tech projects struggle to reach completion
Another contributing factor to the technology issues facing many forces is the abundance of large-scale national tech projects that either experience significant delays or fail to reach completion. The scale of UK policing, particularly when it meshes with other areas of the UK security architecture, means many national-level projects – while necessary and important – are simply too ambitious from the start. A good example is the Emergency Services Network (ESN) project, which began in 2015 and was originally due for completion in 2019. However, after a series of major delays it is now not scheduled to be operational until 2029. While recent developments around the ESN give cause for optimism, with several companies teaming up to get the project back on track, these delays mean emergency services workers are currently still reliant on the outdated Airwave system over six years after the switchover was due to take place.

Bringing people and technology together is crucial
In today’s VUCA world, modern policing requires people and technology to work seamlessly together.

From a technology perspective, this starts with well-informed purchasing decisions made by technologically literate leaders, with the aim of meeting realistic timeframes and digital goals. In many cases, a great first step is investing in modern rugged laptops, tablets and ICT equipment that can be reliably used in the field without fear of damage or failure. Only by doing this can officers on the front lines begin to take advantage of the wealth of digital applications and services now available to them, from digital fingerprint recording and GPS mapping, to 3D crime scene rendering and AI-powered interview transcription.

From a people perspective, forces need to ensure everyone – from senior leadership to front line officers – receives the level of training needed to fully understand and capitalise on the opportunities that modern technology presents. This includes providing specialist training where required, particularly in rapidly growing areas such as data analytics, AI literacy and technical architecture. Empowering officers with these specialist skills will enable them to embrace new, technology-led methods and processes as soon as they become available, uplevelling the entire organisation in the process.

Police services up and down the UK increasingly need to harness the wealth of powerful policing technology available to them in order to do their jobs effectively. However, a combination of underfunding/investment at a local level, overly ambitious national projects, and reluctance from some senior leaders to embrace new digital solutions is making it very difficult for many to achieve. Successful digital strategies must bring technology and people together in a way that ensures those tasked with adopting and using new technology fully understand its benefits and are confident using it from day one. Only then can truly data-driven policing become a reality.