THE POLICE DATA CHALLENGE Copyright Policing Insight/Cognyte 2023 Rapid advances in technology and the exponential growth of data – both in volume and complexity – are creating major challenges and opportunities for policing around the ability to gather intelligence and successfully undertake investigations. But those challenges and opportunities aren’t limited to hardware, soſtware and digital transformation. The ever- changing skillset required of officers and staff involved in those policing processes, together with the technology understanding of law enforcement leaders and decision makers, mean that human resources present an equally complex conundrum for law enforcement. It’s an issue well understood by Chief Constable Lisa Winward, National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Intelligence Portfolio Lead, who told Policing Insight: “Having grappled with the size of the data, the challenge is the skills to analyse that data in a way that is meaningful, whether to prevent or detect crime, safeguard a vulnerable person, or assist in tackling serious and organised crime or tackling organised exploitation. Describing analysts as “rare as hen’s teeth”, CC Winward acknowledged that the changing employment landscape has The police data challenge: Staff skillsets and leadership literacy Having previously considered some of the wider issues around policing’s approach to the exponential growth in volume and complexity of data sources for investigations and intelligence gathering, in this latest in a series of features on the police data challenge, Policing Insight’s Keith Potter looks at the concerns around staffing – from skills gaps and accreditation to leadership literacy and implementation The ‘Police Data Challenge’ is an independent series researched and written by Policing Insight and commissioned by Cognyte. Policing Insight is the leading platform to keep up with the latest in progressive policing. It is where the global police and criminal justice community both consume and share knowledge, opinion and analysis. Cognyte is a market leader in investigative analytics soſtware that empowers a variety of government and other organizations with Actionable Intelligence for a Safer World™. Find out more at www.cognyte.com/nexyte. Keith Potter is the editor of Policing Insight