Police Efficiency report – APCC response
Responding to the HMICFRS ‘PEEL: Police efficiency 2017’ report, APCC Performance Lead Matthew Scott PCC said:
“The recognition in this inspection that police forces, on the whole, are continuing to manage their resources well, despite the changing demand, is to be welcomed.
“The report, which highlights that policing is becoming increasingly complex and is under significant stress, resonates with what we have been saying to Government in recent weeks.
“Whilst PCCs are focused on continued reform and ensuring that we spend all our money with absolute efficiency, we are now firmly of the view that real terms protection is needed to deliver the service the public expect going forward. The current settlement for policing, especially the flat cash arrangement, no longer ensures the resilience of police forces to respond to further increases in demand.
“Specific investment is needed now in order to ensure the service is able to meet the challenges we face.”
Katy Bourne PCC, Lead of the APCC Police Technology & Digital Portfolio Group and Chair of the Police ICT Company said:
“Whilst I welcome these findings, it is clear that a considerable number of forces still face logistical challenges with their ambitions to reform ICT whilst improving procurement, system compatibility and operability so it is no surprise that the report states that progress in this area is frustratingly slow.
“However, I am encouraged the report states that: “It is essential that PCCs and chief constables remain committed to working collaboratively with the Police ICT Company to radically improve the procurement and use of ICT systems, especially in relation to their inter-operability.”
“As Chair of The Police ICT Company, I will ensure that it continues to support and enable the ICT transformation which is currently underway.”
“There are already many examples of how police forces are successfully using technology (like body-worn video, mobile data hand-held terminals and ANPR cameras) as well as managing existing IT infrastructure to ensure that systems talk to one another across regions and are fully aligned with the ambitions of the police digital transformation agenda as set out in the national Policing Vision 2025.”
The Police ICT Company was established by Policing to work with police forces and technology suppliers to get better value, initially for the ICT which forces already use, but increasingly for ICT which is in development. This is being achieved through focusing on moving suppliers from contracting individually with forces to contract once, with the Company, allowing the Company to leverage the collective buying power across forces and drive better value for everyone.
The Company is working with the National Police Technology Council which represents CIOs in establishing the ICT components required nationally to enable police forces locally and regionally to share data and operate more collaboratively, and to achieve the ambition for the Police Service as set out in the Policing Vision 2025. This work is focused on driving more consistency in the way in which Police adopts and utilises digital technology and digital techniques, increasing and improving the access to relevant data on which to make better-informed decisions, for example on managing demand, and on predicting, responding to and resolving crime.