This is a test for a rainy Wednesday morning
The 2024 general election has ushered in a new era for policing. Martin Taylor analyses the importance of investing in both people and technology to improve performance and enhance public safety.
Subheadings
The 2024 general election has signalled a change in approach across a number of areas of the public sector. For the first time since 2014 the country is being led by a Labour government; paving the way for a different approach. It’s reasonable to expect a stronger and more interventionist mindset from a Labour Home Secretary as well as a more nuanced focus on criminality (remember “Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime”?).
The general election wasn’t the only notable vote in 2024. May’s elections for Police and Crime Commissioners and metro mayors also took place and these matter a lot for policing and what we can expect in terms of approach and investment for the coming years.
Addressing Modern Challenges
The new political leadership of policing, whether at a national or local level, has inherited a vital public service with considerable challenges. It’s common to hear people describe a crisis of trust and confidence in policing, with low morale, recruitment difficulties and poor staff retention. In fact, a glance at the latest round of PEEL inspections makes it clear that the position is indeed worrying. The sector faces an acute performance and delivery challenge. With political and police leaders, as well as the public, focused on recruitment numbers and visible policing - more “bobbies on the beat” - how can improvements be made in crucial areas such as contact management?
Increased recruitment will undoubtedly be beneficial and bring additional capacity. However, rapid recruitment will come with challenges including high costs associated with recruiting, training, equipping and deploying officers. In short, simply throwing more people at the problem doesn’t always produce the best outcome, especially in today’s technologically advanced world.
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Rohit Sharma
Rohit works for the marketing department and is responsible for techUK's content programme.