THE POLICE DATA CHALLENGE Copyright Policing Insight/Cognyte 2023 identification – all the command and control logs, all the intel that’s coming through – I cannot see a way that policing would be able to function if it wasn’t using some form of AI to look at patterns, issues, socials, and make better informed responses to emerging threats.” He is also well aware of some of the ethical concerns around AI that have been covered in this series, but added: “I think the worst thing policing could do is take a big step back from it and say ‘crikey, we can’t get involved in this stuff’. I think policing has got to be in this space because if we’re not, then one, we won’t be as effective, and two, other people will be using it.” Analytics for the frontline Alongside challenges of scale, turning data into usable information and intelligence for officers and staff who themselves may not have analytical skills will be crucial going forwards. At an operational level, this underlines the need for in-force decision intelligence platforms that offer both advanced data fusion and analytics capabilities, and which can generate insights automatically, making data accessible to users in an intuitive way. Iain Donnelly, the former West Midlands Police lead for Digital Investigations and Intelligence, and the police project manager who delivered the foundation phase of the National Data Analytics Solution, argues that putting the digital investigation and data technology tools in the hands of frontline officers – “completely neglected in terms of crime investigation technology” – would also be a huge step towards addressing some of the current volume pressures on specialists. “What you’ve got at the moment are bottlenecks within digital forensics units (DFUs) and digital media investigator (DMI) units, but everyone else has nothing in terms of technology,” said Iain. “So a DC investigating multiple burglaries, or maybe rapes, needs to locate and gather evidence from a whole plethora of digital devices such as Ring doorbell footage, telecoms data, CCTV and so on. “What’s needed is the capability for every investigator in a force to do the lion’s share of relatively straightforward digital evidence investigation, so that the DFUs and DMIs can just get on and deal with the really, really serious stuff. “At the moment you’ve got cops going out doing ridiculous things like videoing someone’s mobile phone with their body-worn video, or using their own personal mobile phones to conduct internet inquiries into a suspect. “I cannot see a way that policing would be able to function if it wasn’t using some form of AI to look at patterns, issues, socials, and make better informed responses to emerging threats.” Sir David Thompson former West Midlands Chief Constable Former West Midlands Chief Constable Sir David Thompson