Police forces nationwide are being encouraged to adapt their processes and deliver a stronger citizen experience, and data and digital transformation have an important part to play in this ongoing journey.
On Tuesday 4th July, the Node4 Group hosted Policing First 2023 – an immersive event uniting police and technology professionals with a shared passion for driving change that matters across the sector.
Held at the historic Bletchley Park, we were joined by officers, the Police Digital Service (PDS), Microsoft, and colleagues from across the Node4 Group for a packed schedule of expert talks on digital forensics, AI, cybersecurity and other timely, tech-focused topics in the policing space.
WHAT WE COVERED
With an opening talk from Former Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Craig Mackey, we kickstarted the day exploring modern day challenges facing UK forces, and discussing how legacy systems can pose their own challenge when it comes to sharing data beyond the realms of a single force.
The Q&A panel that followed, with Detective Sergeant John Price (Team Leader, Digital Forensics and Incident Response, West Midlands Police), Dan Hamilton (Account Technology Strategist for UK Policing, Microsoft), and Jason Downes (Node4 Group Police Sector Lead), highlighted the importance of forces getting the correct infrastructure in place and standardising tools before moving on to more nuanced projects.
Node4’s Innovation Director for Power Platform and Dynamics Customer Engagement, Kevin Ingrey, delivered an insightful talk into the rise of artificial intelligence and what it means for UK forces. The session triggered questions and conversation centred around how forces are using AI to drive greater efficiency, with anecdotes of how its already supporting real-world scenarios.
Data Practice Director at Node4, Julian Boneham, delved into data siloes and how disparate systems are making it difficult for forces to collaborate effectively before we introduced I-Leap: a new app set to give officers real-time access to Interpol data.
Node4 Security Practice Director, Andy Bates, offered up valuable insight into how forces can protect their information networks in an age of heightened cybercrime, and the day was wrapped up with a demonstration of how Microsoft Power Apps are developed to make information capture easier and more intuitive for frontline officers.
PUBLIC SAFETY &
NATIONAL SECURITY
Protecting citizens and communities through visible services, Node4 works closely with blue light organisations across the UK to streamline processes, enhance security and harness the power of data – playing an important role in supporting these critical services.
Discover all about how we enable UK police forces to protect and serve their communities with digital technology.
HOW CAN WE HELP
COMMENT
Hannah Birch, Managing Director, Digital at Node4, said: “Policing First presented an outstanding opportunity to gather together police and tech professionals who are passionate about digital transformation and delivering meaningful change.
“It was fantastic to see so many officers from forces up and down the country all committed to pushing digital boundaries, and engaging in thought-provoking conversations about how existing and developing technologies can have a remarkable impact on their ways of working.”
Jason Downes, Node4 Group Police Sector Lead, said: “This event was a first for the Node4 Group and I’m thrilled to have played a part in helping demonstrate the tangible benefits a data and digital-first approach can bring to UK forces.”
We look forward to hosting future events in policing, across the wider public sector and beyond as the Node4 Group continues its work to deliver change that matters.