Supported by Selex ES, CGI, Airwave and the Scottish Government, the theme of this year’s conference was Technology, Policing and Criminal Justice, with contributions from the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Kenny MacAskill, MSP, the Chair of the Scottish Police Authority, Vic Emery OBE, the Chief Constable of Scotland, Sir Stephen House, QPM, and Professor Cynthia Lum, Director of the Centre for Evidence Based Crime Policy, George Mason University, Washington

From enhancing crime control to improving communication with the public, enhances in technology have always played a key role in influencing the development of policing.

But if technologies are to be developed effectively, we must have a clear understanding of the technologies they aim to address and the context in which they will be used.

This International Conference provided a forum in which police practitioners, policy makers, industry experts and researchers came together to discuss how we maximise the impact of new policing technologies for the benefit of the local communities.

The conference was Chaired by Paddy Tomkins, Director of Droman Ltd and former Chief Inspector of Constabulary for Scotland, and focused on the new technologies that are currently available or are being developed in information and automation, communications, analytics and identification, and sensors and surveillance.

PROGRAMME

Download the Printed Programme and Company Profiles [2.6 Mb]

(Photo, Jeffe Egge) Cynthia Lum presents the SIPR Annual Lecture / James Smart Memorial Lecture

Plenary Session

Chair: Paddy Tomkins QPM, Droman Ltd

09.30  Chair’s Welcome
Podcast [3 minutes, 1.1 Mb]

09.40  Kenny MacAskill MSP Cabinet Secretary for Justice
Podcast [10 minutes, 3.6 Mb]

09.50  Vic Emery OBE Chair, Scottish Police Authority
Podcast [11 minutes, 4.1 Mb]

10.00  Sir Stephen House QPM Chief Constable, Police Scotland
Introduction to the 42nd James Smart Memorial Lecture and welcome
to the speaker
Podcast [13 minutes, 4.7 Mb]

10.10  The James Smart Memorial Lecture:
Professor Cynthia Lum Director, CEBCP, George Mason University, Washington
‘The Impact of Technology on Modern Policing’
PowerPoint Pesentation [3.1 Mb]
Podcast [36 minutes, 13.1 Mb]

10.50  Q & A; Vote of Thanks by Professor Nick Fyfe
Podcast [15 minutes, 5.6 Mb]

11.15  Tea / Coffee and Displays

Technology Workshops – Considering needs, gaps & options

11.45 – 13.00  Workshops

Information and Automation:

Led by CGI
This session presented a forward view of some implications associated with the increasing amounts of digital information and evidential material generated through increased use of technology in the justice process. Areas covered will include:

• The digital data tsunami: As we look to digitisation to obtain better results for less money, do we really understand the quantum and other implications of the digital information we will be managing, holding, transmitting, sharing and processing
• Opportunities for Automation: The availability of digital information increases the opportunities for collaboration and automation. This will view some opportunities for automation throughout the justice process that address existing challenges
• Cyber Threats & Responses: What cyber threats permeate the digital world we’re entering, what potential responses do we have, cyber-security or cyber-crime… where to invest, the skills shortage, other considerations

Communications and mobile data:
VENUE : PRESTONFIELD

Led by Airwave
This workshop explored and sought feedback interactively from the audience on the following areas:

• Exploiting existing data to better improve decision making and resource management
• How mobile information empowers and supports frontline officers, saving time and money
• The evolution of mobile applications for Public Safety
• Live demonstration of current mobile applications and the next generation that are under trial
• Potential mobile applications for the future

pdf of presentation [1.5 Mb]

Analytics and Identification:

Led by CGI

• Police National Database (PND) – Facial Searching
  • A short introduction: What is PND and where does it come from?
  • Facial searching: Exploiting a police photographic library of over 12 million images looking for an offender
  • Operational use of PND Facial Search: Does it work in practice?
  • Future potential discussion: A powerful existing asset – how best to exploit it?
• How technology can provide powerful insights for Investigators
  • Discovery: changing the way we ‘find’ information
  • How Discovery can be applied in the investigative world
  • CGI ‘Insight Investigate’ demonstration
  • Discussion – How does this type of technology change the world of policing?

Sensors and Surveillance:

Led by Selex ES

• Applicable Classes of Sensor Technology – Current and Possible Future Applications
• Trends in Sensor Technology – e.g. size, power, capability, cost etc.
• Operational Benefits from Sensors – Enhancement of Current Capabilities, Possible Future Capabilities
• Issues – Sensing versus Data Processing Overheads and Value of Sensor Data and Information

Bluelightworks summary briefing pack (pdf) [1.1 Mb]

13.00  Buffet Lunch

Panel Discussion Technology, Policing and Criminal Justice:
needs, benefits and deployment

14.00  Chair: Paddy Tomkins QPM, Droman Ltd

(Photo, Jeffe Egge) l to r:
Euros Evans, Chief Technology Officer, Airwave
Professor Jim Fraser, University of Strathclyde
Steve Howe, Vice President, CGI Police National Database
Professor Cynthia Lum, Director, Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy, GMU
Peter Martin, Delivery Director for Bluelightworks, Selex ES
DCC Neil Richardson, Police Scotland
David Robinson, Client Director, Airwave
Cllr Iain Whyte, Scottish Police Authority Board

Podcast [87 minutes, 31.5 Mb]

Reception

15.30  Reception, hosted by the Chief Constable of Scotland, Sir Stephen House QPM

16.30  Conference closes

This Conference was organised by the Scottish Institute for Policing Research in partnership with:

The John McIntyre Centre, Pollock Halls

(Photo, Jeff Egge) Cynthia Lum receives the James Smart Memorial Medal from Nick Fyfe and Sir Stephen House

The James Smart Memorial Lecturer: Dr Cynthia Lum

DR CYNTHIA LUM is the Director of the Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy, and Associate Professor in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society at George Mason University. A former Baltimore City police officer and detective, she researches primarily in the area of policing. Her works in this area have included evaluations of policing interventions for crime prevention effectiveness, examining place-based determinates of street-level police decision-making, and understanding counterterrorism efforts by state and local law enforcement. With Professors Christopher Koper and Cody Telep (also from George Mason University), she has developed the Evidence-Based Policing Matrix, a translation tool designed for police practitioners to better institutionalize and utilize research on “what works” in policing into their strategic and tactical portfolio. Dr. Lum was recently awarded the U.S. Attorney General’s Citizen Volunteer Service Award for outstanding volunteer service to the Department of Justice.