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A summary of the Digital Policing and Public Safety panel at PS2030, sponsored by InterSystems.

The Digital Policing panel at techUK’s PS2030 Conference explored how technological developments will affect the way police operate over the coming years. With the staggering increase connected devices, the explosion in digital data, and the enhanced technical capabilities of criminals all predicted over the next decade, what will the policing landscape look like and how will the police keep the public safe?

The session was sponsored by InterSystems, and chaired by Ian Blackhurst, the Director for Public Safety at Northgate Public Services. Ian was joined on the panel by Emma Kelly, Senior Officer for Futures at the National Crime Agency, Helen James, the Business Development Director, Information Services, Boeing Defence and Robert Leach, the Acting CEO of the Police ICT Company. Drawing on a wealth of experience in developing client solutions for customers in public safety, Ian opened proceedings by exploring what policing might look like by 2030, before inviting each panellist to provide their views and contribute to an open discussion.

13 years is a very long time in terms of tech. 13 years ago we lived in a world without smartphones, apps, Skype, or Facebook. And so it is very hard to predict where tech will be in 13 years.

Less HQ, More IQ

However, there are certain identifiable trends that allow us to guess how crime and policing might have changed. Advances in mobile tech and increased connectivity will lead to estate rationalisation – there will be fewer police HQs, and more autonomy for officers. As the quantity of digital data increases, effective law enforcement will depend on the ability of police forces to share and utilize data. If data siloes can be joined up and systems made interoperable forces will be able to generate more information from their data, paving the way for better informed decision making and increased public safety. The more effective the data integration, the greater the intelligence and insight can be derived from it.

Reaching this ideal state is not just a matter of technology, but also of culture. If organisations across local government and the criminal justice system can be incentivised to share data, then early interventions can be identified and will improve crime prevention, public safety, and reduce reoffending.

Just as the technological tools the police use to fight crime will become ever more advanced over the next decade, so will the tech used by citizens in everyday life. Things like the integration of formerly offline things into connected systems, the proliferation of wearable or even implanted devices may present significant challenges to the police (how do you seize someone’s phone when it’s in their finger?). To meet these challenges efforts must be made now to improve digital leadership and digital skills in policing and across the public sector.

Did you attend the session? Tell us what you think and join the debate on Twitter #techUKPS2030. And look out for the Justice & Emergency Services Programme’s work on Modern Crime Prevention and Emergency Services Collaboration this year.

It is techUK's PS2030 campaign week. To see more blogs like this, please visit the website here.