Digital Policing – the journey towards change Author: David Robinson

We all know that the public safety community faces increasing challenges, doing more with less and tackling new kinds of crime. Technological transformation offers solutions that could significantly save time, improve efficiency and deliver benefits across a range of areas. However it is also true that when faced with transformational change many people and organisations are reluctant to move forward in a different direction from their traditional one. We know that change is inevitable, but it can also be disruptive.

The word ‘Transformation’ is potentially an uncomfortable one, suggesting that everything we do is wrong and needs to change. The reality is of course that a change to digitally-enabled policing methods is already happening. But this is a journey and it is possible to take the first steps now with solutions that are future-proof and can deliver positive benefits today as you move forward.

The Third Digital Policing Summit, convened by Cityforum, brought together chief officers, Police CIOs, technology vendors, and experts from the policy and business worlds to consider the opportunity and the challenge presented by this digital journey.

The Summit was designed to foster debate and knowledge-sharing about the challenges of digital transformation including financial impact and cultural change.

Crucially, although the audience acknowledged the challenges ahead, it also recognised that progress is being made and that successful transformation has started in forces around the country. There is a continuing need for greater consistency and for forces to build the right partnerships in order to deliver effective change, but the change is happening.

I was very pleased to be a part of the debate and I am excited to offer you to opportunity to review the issues that were discussed and the conclusions reached by downloading a copy of “Enabling Change through Technology” the independent report published by Cityforum.

There is no doubt now that digital policing is an opportunity not a problem, and there is a positive attitude towards making the transformation a reality.

I hope you will find the report informative.

 

David Robison is a Business Development Manager with Motorola Solutions

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