IT industry association techUK has called for an interoperability strategy, an investment in skills and the availability of open APIs to digital interoperability in UK policing.
It has published a report on the issue, Demystifying Interoperability in Policing, in response to what it describes as “ongoing frustration over the lack of interoperability in digital policing systems”.
This is behind an inability to share data that forces the repeated entry of data, multiple log-ins and searches across systems, with data often ending up in isolated silos. This results in duplication, inconsistencies and a fragmented view of information, potentially leading to missed opportunities for effective responses.
techUK says this is now recognised at the highest level in police forces, and points to an emphasis on the importance of connected technology in the National Policing Digital Strategy.
The organisation’s interoperability in policing working group (IPWG) has produced five main recommendations for the police sector.
Strategy and framework
First is the development of an interoperability strategy to reduce dependencies on applications and vendor lock-in, aligned with a national framework.
Second is to invest in training and external expertise to manage technology effectively, and third to show a preference for digital solutions with open APIs (application programming interfaces) to support integration and improve data sharing, using common data standards.
Fourth is to regularly review the performance of technology to refine strategies and maximise investment, and fifth to engage with techUK for insights and solutions.
The report also sets out five key digital ambitions for police forces: to provide a seamless citizen experience; to use the technologies to identify the risk of harm and protect vulnerable people; to give police officers and staff the capabilities to deal with increasingly complex crimes; to embed a whole public system approach; and to strengthen relationships with the private sector.
Develop capabilities
The report’s foreword states: “To protect people from harm in our rapidly changing world the service must modernise. We must develop capabilities to address the digital challenge and deal with the complexity of modern criminality through the exploitation of new technologies.
“Modernisation of the service will require a significant change in our policing system and we must consider what elements of digital transformation will be better delivered locally, regionally and nationally but with a clear convergence around a common roadmap.”
