Category: United Kingdom National Police Chiefs Council

On the 9 October 2023 the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), in collaboration with the National Police Coordination Centre (NPoCC), launched a coordinated policing response to address potential impacts on British communities following the terrorist attacks in Israel.

This initiative, known as Operation Tarlac, was designed to enhance support for local policing efforts, deliver consistencies in policing response and align with existing counter-terrorism frameworks to ensure public safety and community cohesion.

Once the severity of the initial attacks became clear, it was evident that their impact would be deeply felt within communities across the United Kingdom. Previous incidents of escalated tension in the region, notably in 2014 and 2021, demonstrated how such conflicts directly affect the community fear and confidence.

The response from communities at home has been well documented, and we saw protest activity take place almost immediately following the initial attacks. London saw the bulk of this activity, but at its peak, police forces across the country (and not even including London) responded to 67 protests across a four day period in early November, demonstrating how impactful these events were.

To date over 2,600 protest events have required varying police involvement. This has often required the diversion of resources from other priority business and requiring tens of thousands of rest days cancelled. This has contributed to Operation Tarlac being one of the longest and most resource intensive policing operations in recent history.

Over the past year, most of this protest activity has continued to take place peacefully and without issue, but where we have seen incidents of criminality occur, officers have been on hand to respond swiftly and gather evidence to support prosecutions. Since we nationally started tracking data, there have been over 550 arrests made by police at protests. This include arrests at assemblies, processions, direct action and post event protest arrest when someone has been identified through enquiries and investigations.

Policing’s focus has been on supporting our communities by being highly visible, engaging and responding quickly to crime and disorder. Despite evidenced increased engagement specifically within Muslim and Jewish communities we have seen continued heightened incidents of hate crime reporting.

We continue to work closely with community partners and government departments to ensure the most effective reassurance is taking place because we know we have work to do to create the confidence to report incidents and feel safe in their community.

We have been clear throughout this conflict that as emotive as it can be, there is absolutely no excuse for anybody to use it to engage in criminality. Hate crime has not been tolerated. Committing offences during protests has not been tolerated. We have made arrests and are well prepared to continue to do so.

Chief Constable Chris Noble is the NPCC Strategic Lead for Operation Tarlac, and the national lead fo rPolicing Protests. He said:

“The tragic events of October 2023 and beyond continue to resonate with our communities, and our thoughts remain with those who were affected by that incident, in addition to events that have occurred in the region since.

“Over the past 12 months, our officers have responded to an increase in protest activity seen in response to events overseas, often under significant scrutiny.

“In February the Home Affairs Select Committee acknowledged the complexities involved in policing protests, particularly in balancing the rights of all parties. The recent protests have presented the most sustained period of pressure and coordination on policing since 2012. Our officers and staff have demonstrated exceptional commitment and professionalism in responding to these challenges, and their efforts deserve our gratitude and recognition.

“We recognise that events in the Middle East continue to evolve, that a further escalation in conflict is possible, and that this will raise concerns further in our communities at home, particularly those who have friends and family in the region.

“People wish to have their voices heard, and the right to lawful protest is a key part of any democracy, which UK police uphold and facilitate.

“We continue to ask that those looking to organise any future events contact their local police force and engage with them ahead of the time, to ensure that any activity that takes place does so peacefully and lawfully, to the benefit of all in attendance.”

Deputy Chief Constable Paul Mills responds to HMICFRS, IPOC and College of Policing’s findings into a super-complaint on stalking.

Today (27 September), His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, the Independent Office for Police Conduct and College of Policing have published their findings into a super-complaint on stalking. The report makes recommendations for policing and wider criminal justice agencies to improve the response to victims of stalking.

In 2022, the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, on behalf of the National Stalking Consortium, submitted a super-complaint that raised concerns around the police response to stalking in England and Wales, including identifying and investigating stalking behaviours and ensuring protections for victims. 

Deputy Chief Constable Paul Mills, National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for stalking, said: “We welcome the recommendations made in the super-complaint and remain committed to doing everything possible to improve the policing response for victims of stalking. 

“Stalking and harassment can have a devastating impact on victims. Our criminal justice system must recognise the damage and harm perpetrators cause and protect victims at the earliest opportunity. 

“To effectively do this, policing must respond as part of a wider system approach. As the report highlights, police forces that have integrated multi-agency models to respond to reports of stalking have seen the best success at disrupting perpetrator behaviour and safeguarding victims.  

“We must continue to drive best practice nationally across forces and ensure that police officers and staff have the right skills and resources to identify and investigate reports and provide support for victims through the criminal justice process.  

“We are carefully working through the recommendations made for policing and will work closely with our partners across the criminal justice system and beyond to further improve and standardise the service victims receive.” 

Policing is working hard to improve its response to stalking and harassment, which accounts for 40% of all offences related to violence against women and girls.

• Each force has a dedicated stalking lead, and many have specialist advisors to support victims through the reporting stage and investigative process. 

• Updated training and guidance for officers and staff has been implemented nationally, which focuses on better understanding stalking and harassment behaviours, the impact on victims and maximising existing police powers to effectively pursue offenders and safeguard victims. 

• The introduction of a national stalking screening tool for front line officers – following a period of trial in selected forces – this new tool has been designed to support police responders to better identify whether a stalking crime is being presented, as opposed to a harassment, coercive and controlling behaviour, or malicious communications, to initiate urgent investigative action, implement safeguarding measures and safety planning processes, and to ensure referrals to the most appropriate support services are offered. 

• We have been working with the Home Office to further embed Stalking Protection Orders with updated statutory guidance in relation to the standard of proof thresholds and improve the access to official SPO data on a more regular basis.
• Working with Chief Constables and PCC’s to share the learning from multi-agency perpetrator programmes. 

• Working in partnership with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to improve prosecution rates by refreshing the joint protocol on the appropriate handling of stalking or harassment offences between the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the CPS and supporting the development of the Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan principles to improve the response to both domestic and non-domestic stalking. 
• Improving the available data concerning the incidence of stalking, to help target further improvement activity. 

• We are working closely with stalking charities to better understand the experience of victims and drive improvements in the police response. 

Stacey Rothwell, Network Director for the Eastern Region Innovation has been working on Rapid Video Response (RVR.)

The creator of an innovative tool to tackle domestic abuse and protect victims has won a national award for her work.

Stacey Rothwell, Network Director for the Eastern Region Innovation was instrumental in the development and roll out of Rapid Video Response (RVR) – a secure technology which gives domestic violence victims video-based officer response in as little as three minutes.

In the pilot area of Kent, the tool has significantly increased victim satisfaction and reduced anxiety, while from a policing perspective it has led to an increase in arrests and cut down on investigation time. 

RVR has been given the seal of approval from the national VAWG Taskforce, who will oversee its national roll out, under the leadership of Assistant Chief Constable Sam Millar and Deputy Chief Constable Louisa Rolfe.

The technology aims to put victims at the forefront and offer them a consistent service and a more efficient response. It also wants policing to measure performance based on victim satisfaction levels, and encourage further reporting of Domestic Abuse.

Praising Stacey’s work, Professor Paul Taylor, Chief Scientific Adviser said:

“Few examples in the public sector so crisply capture the value of science-led innovation than Rapid Video Response (RVR).

“It uses secure technology to give domestic violence victims an immediate video-based officer response rather than a delayed physical response. By doing so, RVR reduces policing’s response time from around 33 hours to just three minutes.

“This massively increases trust and confidence in policing, and for victims, it reduces anxiety. RVR improves evidence collection, reduces the length of primary investigations by around 40 per cent and has increased arrests by around 50 per cent. It also has the potential to save forces money in transportation and other costs.”

He added: “The idea of RVR may seem obvious, yet Stacey deserves credit for her breakthrough because she recognised the problem and stepped up to lead a solution.

“She undertook two randomised-control trials in Kent Police, with support of the Chief Officers, to show the value of RVR and the absence of negative consequences and then developed a blueprint to across the Eastern region initially. 

“RVR has helped tens of thousands of women and girls suffering from domestic violence. With overseas forces expressing interest, this innovation is on course to be an international success.”

Comments from the judges echoed Professor Taylor, stating Stacey’s work was a worthy winner due to ‘the efficient and rigorous process’ which was undertaken as well as the ‘significant impact’ made not only to the area of research, but to people’s lives.

Stacey’s hard work and determination was recognised at the Government Science and Engineering (GSE) Awards, held at the Science Museum in South Kensington on September 18, where she took home the Innovation Award.

The category recognises those who utilise and embed innovation within their ways of working in the public sector.

If you would like to learn more about RVR you can read a detailed case study here and also watch a short video about the innovative tool.

Up to £4.5m is available to create nine Policing Academic Centres of Excellence (P-ACEs.)

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and UK Research Innovation (UKRI) have joined forces to boost innovation and seeks out new ways to tackle crime.   

Together they have pledged £4.5m of funding for the creation of up to nine Policing Academic Centres of Excellence (P-ACEs.)   

The centres will improve connections between policing and academic researchers, bringing them together to share evidence and methods and shape practices.  

It is hoped the centres can galvanise researchers, enhance the quality and scale of work in policing, and help establish new evidence led methods for policing to tackle and prevent crime, build public trust, and improve the wider criminal justice system. 

Chief Constable Gavin Stephens said: “Research and innovation is key to transforming policing and ensuring the service is not only fit for purpose but that it delivers the best results for our communities.   

“The technologies which benefit policing are not tools which we can just buy off the shelf, they develop over time in response to our complex needs and are built with the help and support of industry and academia.  That’s why investing in new centres like this are essential.  

“This work will help us to futureproof policing and invest in the tools and technology of tomorrow, today.  

“By bringing researchers, academics and leaders in their fields together with law enforcement we can help prevent and tackle a range of offences using the newest and most innovative methods.”  

Each Policing Academic Centre of Excellence will be promoted across the policing sector as an accessible source of leading academic experts aligned with Policing’s Areas of Research Interest (ARIs) and evidence needs.    

The maximum total value of this opportunity is £5.4 million, with each P-ACE having a maximum total funding of £600,000. The NPCC and UKRI are contributing 80% towards the total value of the fund, valued at £4.5 million.   

 For more information about the fund, please visit: Apply to be recognised as a Policing Academic Centre of Excellence – UKRI 

Trials of AI programmes have been ongoing to help ease call demand, tackle child exploitation and to identify DA

That’s the message from policing’s first-ever lead for Artificial Intelligence (AI) as he reaffirms his commitment to transforming the service.  

Temporary Chief Constable Alex Murray took up this role in March this year and wants to focus on three key areas: improving productivity, making policing more effective in cutting crime and tackling the criminal use of AI. 

He is also keen to highlight the innovative work and ambitious pilots already underway to help meet those key objectives.  

They include:  

• AI trials in control rooms to help call handlers manage demand and focus on those most at risk.  

• The development of redaction tools, transcription and translation services.   

• Tools which can search through huge amounts of data to find out where potential child exploitation is taking place.    
• The NPCC is also taking part in the Probable Futures programme, a four-year research project which reviews all AI systems across law enforcement and will create a responsible and ‘operational-ready’ framework for using AI. 

T/Chief Constable Murray said:

“There are huge benefits to using AI across the wider criminal justice system, not just in policing, and we should not shy away from it. 

“Technology is moving at such a fast pace, and it will never be this slow again which means we need to mobilise now and equip our workforce for the future. If we don’t, we risk falling behind the criminals who are embracing and exploiting these tools.  

“AI offers huge opportunities for policing. It can automate a range of administrative tasks such as closing call logs, redacting huge court bundles and translating documents. It can help our call handlers to prioritise those who need their assistance most and can even help identify patterns and trends in evidence. These gains in productivity mean officers and staff will ultimately have more time to be back out in their community.  

“There is always more demand for policing than it can supply and AI helps release officer time so they can concentrate on those who need them most. 

“The public can be assured that AI is not replacing officers. Police will remain at the heart of everything we do because violent disorder, domestic abuse, child sexual exploitation for example, will always need a trained human officer to interact, offer support and make the final decisions and that will never change.” 

The former West Mercia officer, now a Director in the NCA, added:

“I want to be very clear with the public that our use of AI will always be responsible, transparent and explainable and this is why we have all signed up to the first-ever AI covenant. 

“The responsible use of AI is paramount if we are to deliver a service that is trusted by communities. People will see the only motivation here is to improve what we do and to better achieve our mission of making people safer.   

“We are open to scrutiny and want to build transparency into what we do. For us, innovation is about keeping our communities safe, not for profit, not for the sake of it.  

“We will are committed to working with key partners, academia and industry leaders to improve but will always be open and transparent about our actions and intentions.”  

Recovered vehicles valued at over £4m in total with 180 arrests made

• Partnership working to tackle vehicle crime
• 180 arrests made relating to vehicle crime, including burglary
• NaVCIS-led operations at ports recovered stolen vehicles destined for overseas

The first intensification week as part of national policing’s Operation Alliances to tackle serious organised vehicle crime has concluded with 316 stolen vehicles recovered with an estimated value of over £4m.

The stolen vehicles included cars, motorcycles, lorries, scrap vehicles and various vehicle parts linked to thefts were also recovered.

Op Alliances is delivered by Opal, policing’s national intelligence team for serious organised acquisitive crime, and brought together a number of organisations working in partnership with policing to stem the flow of stolen vehicles leaving the UK and support enforcement action at ports.

Vehicle crime is on the increase, with the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) recording a 29 per cent increase in vehicles identified at ports in the second quarter of 2024. There’s evidence from Opal’s analysis that vehicle crime forms a large part of serious organised acquisitive crime, presenting a significant risk which damages communities and industry.

Op Alliances is policing’s targeted approach to tackling this criminality with partners including NaVCIS, the Ports Police, Home Office, Border Force, manufacturers, Europol, Interpol, the National Crime Agency and many others (see full list in notes to editors).

Activity took place across nine different ports, acting on intelligence to locate stolen vehicles and parts destined for overseas markets.

Police forces across England and Wales took part in the week, engaging with local communities to offer crime prevention advice and initiatives to support vehicle owners in keeping their vehicles safe, as well as encouraging reporting of thefts. 180 arrests were made across the country for vehicle crime-related offences, including burglary and theft of car keys which is an increasingly common tactic used by criminals.

Forces conducted multiple search warrants, locating and closing down a number of ‘chop shops’, (locations where stolen vehicles are broken down into parts) as well as engaging with scrap metal and motor salvage businesses around enforcement and guidance.

Many seizures were also made of offensive weapons, theft devices, thousands of pounds in cash, suspected stolen tools, suspected stolen plant and agricultural equipment and a large quantity of drugs.

Assistant Chief Constable, Jenny Sims is National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for vehicle crime. She said:

“This intensification week has seen policing, local enforcement, partners and the industry coming together in a targeted effort to tackle some of the highest harm offenders in vehicle crime and the results speak for themselves.

“We know that organised crime groups are responsible for a significant proportion of vehicle thefts, whether to export high-end vehicles overseas or to break them up for parts. We also know that stolen vehicles are used in poly-criminality, for example in other areas of acquisitive crime but also drug offending and modern slavery, so tackling these groups can be extremely impactful.

“I’m grateful to all of our partner agencies and organisations who are instrumental in this fight against vehicle crime. The intensification activity this week has supported us in driving intelligence gathering and sharing, as well as our operational work together and I look forward to seeing the results continue.”

Sharon Naughton is Head of NaVCIS. She said:

“The Port of Felixstowe handles more than four million shipping containers per year. The challenge of locating stolen cars in shipping containers can seem like a needle in a haystack. NaVCIS intelligence and analysis helps to make the needle bigger and the haystack smaller when disrupting this type of criminality.

“NaVCIS bridge the gap between policing and industry. The vehicle crime intensification week has been a huge success, particularly at ports, where NaVCIS officers work hard every day of the year to intercept and seize stolen vehicles before they are exported overseas. Through our well-established and positive relationships with industry partners and law enforcement colleagues, we proactively investigate this type of serious and organised acquisitive crime to develop intelligence to increase opportunities to bring offenders to justice.

“Our port operations are vital to tackle vehicle crime, deprive criminals of assets and return cars to their rightful owners.”

DCI Lee Newman-West is Head of Operations at Opal, the team which coordinated the national activity. He said:

“Opal is committed to tackling serious organised acquisitive crime (SOAC) and the team work tirelessly with law enforcement agencies and a host of key partners and industry colleagues within the UK and overseas to enhance our intelligence flows and understanding of key threats.

“We continue to champion and drive multi-agency responses to support collaboration and operational activity, tackling vehicle crime and wider SOAC threats in partnership. We will do all we can to disrupt this criminality and protect our communities.”

Key partners involved in delivering the intensification activity to date: (not exhaustive):

• Opal- National Intelligence Unit for Serious Organised Acquisitive Crime (SOAC)
• NaVCIS- National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service
• NCA- National Crime Agency
• JICC- Joint International Crime Centre
• FLEC- Foreign Law Enforcement Community
• Europol
• Interpol
• Home office intelligence
• Port of Dover Police
• UK Police forces
• Vehicle examiners
• UKBF- Border Force
• MACC- Multi Agency cash cell
• FTT- Federated Tasking team
• National APMIS team
• NICRP- National Infrastructure Crime Reduction Partnership
• BTP- British Transport Police
• Environment Agency
• Crime Prevention Initiatives
• National vehicle crime tactical lead
• ROCU disruptions teams- Regional Organised Crime Units
• GAIN- Government Agency Intelligence Network
• NCATT- National Construction Agricultural Theft Team
• ANPR specialists
• Tracker companies including Tracker and W4G
• MPS Organised vehicle team
• Essex Stolen vehicle unit
• Industry partners/ manufacturers
• Jaguar Land Rover
• Toyota Lexus
• Finance companies
• Association of British Insurers (ABI)
• US Homeland Security
• Cargo Secure, Suffolk Police.
• Home Office
• Recovery agents and VRS teams

Trials continuing in drone as first responder initiative

August saw the latest trial in drone as first responder (DFR) technology with a team from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary and Thames Valley Police Joint Operations Unit demonstrating its capabilities against challenging weather conditions at the Victorious Music Festival in Portsmouth.

Operating under visual line of sight (VLOS) and coordinating with a second safety pilot, the team ensured high safety standards to mitigate air and ground risk while navigating through Class G airspace alongside other air assets including the coastguard helicopter and aeroplane and the event security drone team.

NPCC BVLOS lead for Hampshire & IOW Constabulary and Thames Valley Police, Chris Stagg, said:

“Following on from our initial testing at the Isle of Wight Festival in June, our efforts in Portsmouth at the Victorious Music Festival have brought us one step closer to realising our shared vision of using DFR in support of policing operations. The festival provided a dynamic setting to assess a temporary DFR site setups for large scale events as well as operations within an urban environment.

“The exposed seafront location also gave us the benefit of understanding how strong winds affected the drone when landing autonomously. Whilst the drone remained safe and dry in the box during some extremely strong winds and heavy rain, it did highlight the potential need for a bespoke purpose made drone that has both the capability and redundancy to stand up to harsh environments. Policing needs to be able to operate safely in adverse weather conditions across the country.

“As we move forward, our focus remains on safety and adaptability in adverse weather especially as we move towards the winter months, ensuring that our emergency response capabilities are not just effective but also safe and reliable when it matters most.”

DFR promises to transform the response to 999 calls. By getting to the scene of any incident in an urban or rural fringe environment within minutes and providing a bird’s eye view directly into a force’s incident room, the emergency response can be much better tailored. Not only will this support in delivering a faster and more efficient emergency response but the real-time view it provides will enhance both public and officer safety.

The Victorious Festival trial is one of four DFR trials taking place this year as part of the National Police Chief’s Council’s Drone Programme. This programme investigates how to get the most out of beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and autonomous drone flight for policing purposes, leveraging resources to best effect and helping to protect the public across England and Wales.  

A national team set-up to tackle the threat of county lines is marking six years since its inception.

The National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC), part of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) is funded by the Home Office with the aim of co-ordinating national law enforcement activity across England and Wales, increasing intelligence on the county lines threat, and informing national policy development and best practice.

Set up in 2018 the NCLCC has developed the national intelligence picture for County Lines and helped police forces to report and identify the threat of County Lines within their own policing areas and further afield. This work continues and supports the new Safer Streets mission.

With the scale and nature of this cross-border crime, NCLCC acts as the central body for County Lines and co-ordinates the national law enforcement response and best practice.

Every policing region in England and Wales has a dedicated NCLCC Co-ordinator and analytical resource to measure this threat and access to the Continuous Improvement Team to support with their force response to County Lines. In addition, there is a programme funded Co-ordinator in Scotland, recognising the lines from England that impact this part of the UK.

Key successes of the NCLCC include:

• Co-ordinating 13 County Lines Intensification Weeks since 2018. The Intensification Weeks support police forces across the country close drugs lines, arrest criminals and protect children and vulnerable adults from exploitation. To date, 5,627 lines have been closed, more than 16,500 people arrested and 8,800 individuals safeguarded.
• Increasing the understanding, intelligence picture and law enforcement response on the threat of County Lines, including annual strategic assessments.
• Delivering interactive County Lines training and learning to more than 3,200 police officers and 870 statutory partners since 2020. The training, using Hydra technology, places delegates at the centre of a simulated County Lines investigation and explores the complex nature of an investigation, from the characteristics of the County Lines business model to the way vulnerable people are groomed and exploited. The training has provided a greater understanding of criminal exploitation and the importance of a multi-agency response.
• Partnering with the Ivison Trust (formerly PACE) and Barnardo’s in 2022 to develop a parent and carers webinar. Attended by more than 3,400 people, the webinars help parents and carers understand what County Lines is and the signs their child might be being exploited. One attendee commented: “This is one of the most powerful sessions I have ever attended as a professional and parent. I can’t tell you how powerful this is, and I hope more parents can hear this.”
• Launching the NCLCC Power app, a central resource for County Lines knowledge and guidance in September 2023. The app includes information around safeguarding, use of ANPR, Modern Slavery, custody procedures, engaging with partners and more.
• Publishing the first County Lines Policing Strategy (2024-2027) to provide a framework for forces to respond to all aspects of this crime type. The plan sets out what the NCLCC will do next and how it will continue to work with forces to disrupt County Lines.

Commander Paul Brogden, NPCC lead for County Lines, said: “Tackling County Lines drug dealing remains a strategic priority for policing across England and Wales.

“Six years in, the NCLCC has co-ordinated the national law enforcement response to County Lines, and allowed for best practice, experience, and knowledge to be shared across the country. This has led to significant successes – including more than 5,600 drug lines closed, 8,000 people charged, hundreds of weapons recovered, and large quantities of drugs seized. Crime prevention sits at the heart of our approach and forces have referred more than 8,000 young and vulnerable people to safeguarding services.

“Through gathering intelligence, we now understand the nature, scale, and threat of County Lines better, which has helped forces work together, across borders, to tackle this issue.

“But we know there is much more still to do. The County Lines Policing Strategy sets out the national plan for next three years and builds on the successes we have already seen, while ensuring that forces adopt a prevention-first approach to break the cycle of serious organised crime.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank our County Lines Task Forces, Regional Co-ordinators, Analysts, NCLCC central teams and the staff from all police forces across England and Wales, including our key partners, for their ongoing hard work, dedication, and exceptional results. 

“County lines drug dealing has a devastating effect on communities, so we are committed to put an end to this business model and the criminal offending of those involved in exploitation and violence often associated with it.”

Lindsay Dalton, CEO of Ivison Trust said:

“Congratulations to the National County Lines Coordination Centre on six years of unwavering commitment to tackling child exploitation and safeguarding vulnerable children across the country. 

“It’s been a privilege to have partnered with the NCLCC since 2022, working collaboratively to deliver essential early intervention support to families affected by child exploitation. This vital work not only helps to empower families but also plays a crucial role in strengthening the safeguarding framework that protects our children from the dangers of exploitation. 

“The impact of the Centre’s work cannot be overstated. By providing resources, building partnerships, and leading initiatives that raise awareness, the National County Lines Coordination Centre is making a significant difference in young people’s and their families’ lives. We look forward to continuing our partnership and enhancing our efforts to ensure that every child has the opportunity to grow up safe and protected from exploitation.”

This week, as part of the first ever Modernising Policing week, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) will shine a light on the areas being explored to transform law enforcement nationally.

Today, we present “Thin Digital Line”, an innovative new podcast series led by Exception, the innovative Digital Transformation specialist, and former Deputy Chief Constable of Lincolnshire Police and NPCC Drugs Lead, Jason Harwin KPM.

This six-episode series (which is now available across all major podcast platforms) explores how emerging technologies and data could shape British policing, discussing the impact of digital advancements on the future of law enforcement.

Each episode features in-depth discussions between Jason and senior leaders from NPCC and forces, offering unique insights into the transformative potential for policing.

Jason Harwin KPM, host of Thin Digital Line, added

“This series is not just about predicting the future, but also about preparing for it. We are entering an era where AI, digitisation, and cyber will revolutionise the way the service operates. It’s essential that we start this dialogue now, to ensure that policing continues to evolve alongside society. Through these conversations with distinguished colleagues from the NPCC and various forces, we hope to shed light on how policing is adapting to these fast-emerging trends.”

Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, NPCC chair and guest on Thin Digital Line, added:

“The Thin Digital Line series offers valuable insights into the ways in which policing could navigate an increasingly digital world. It offers a glimpse into our digital priorities, explores how our approach is already being shaped by digital advancement and looks at how we might adapt our service ahead of the year 2045.”

Episode one features Gavin Stephens QPM, and Tony Blaker QPM, Digital, Data and Technology Coordination Committee Chief of Staff. It explores the concept of technological singularity and its implications for policing, delving into how advancements in AI and automation could transform the future of law enforcement, including the roles of human officers versus machines.

You can listen to it here:

As part of the first ever Modernising Policing week, the NPCC will shine a light on the areas being explored to transform law enforcement nationally. Throughout the week you will see updates from the teams working to transform policing, from those working in data, facial recognition, AI, and more. We will also be highlighting the work of our partners, such as the Office of the Police Chief Scientific Adviser and academia, taking place to drive change and propel policing in to the 21st century. 

Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, NPCC Chair said: 

“This week we are hosting the first ever Modernising Policing week to celebrate some of the efforts to innovate locally, regionally and nationally. 

“It’s important we recognise the contribution that our staff and officers are making in areas like developing Artificial Intelligence, automation, improving data and driving real change in policing. 

“We know that technological developments will be the single biggest driver of reform in policing in the coming years and embedding new technologies is the only way we can hope to continue delivering the service the public deserves and expects.”

You can find out more about the teams working in this area on our website: Modernising Policing (npcc.police.uk)

Confirmed Podcast platforms that will be broadcasting Thin Digital Line include:

Clear, Hold, Build could be making its way to Australia

Serious and Organised Crime affects communities on a local, national and international level.

This week, teams from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and ROCU network welcomed Sergeant, Sharee Bahn from Australia’s Victoria Police for a unique visit.

Sgt Bhan travelled more than 10,000 miles to the UK to learn about the implementation and impact of Clear, Hold, Build across police and partnerships.

The bespoke initiative which seeks to clamp down on criminal groups and empower communities to reclaim their neighbourhoods was rolled out nationally in February last year with forces continue to embed the delivery framework within communities.

Victoria Police is currently scoping out new ways to target crime and disorder, gathering and collating evidence of best practice from overseas to present to state officials with Clear Hold Build forming part of future planning and reform.

Over the course of three days, Sharee visited a number of sites across the Yorkshire and Humber region, meeting with officers, partners and community groups to see Clear, Hold, Build in action.

She also visited the National Firearms centre to learn about threat assessment and intelligence collection plans and finished the trip with a visit to the Home Office and the Metropolitan Police service.

Detective Superintendent Andy Farrell, NPCC lead for Clear, Hold, Build said:

“Serious and Organised Crime is not just something which impacts our communities here in the UK but it’s something which law enforcement is grappling with across the world.

“This has been an insightful few days and we are grateful to Sharee for travelling all this way to come and learn about Clear, Hold, Build and our SOC Local framework.

“The NPCC SOC Portfolio recognises the importance of collaboration across law enforcement and partner agencies to tackle threats. This enables organisational learning sharing across different specialisms to develop effective practice.

“By sharing learning and experiences we not only help our own initiative to grow and improve but also help boost the confidence of officers and staff, who can see the impact their work is making through someone else’s perspective.

“We know CHB is delivering real change for communities, and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the officers and staff across the network for their continued professional approach. I hope you are all really proud of what you have done, not only to support this visit but for the wider work to tackle the deep rooted issues with surround SOC.”