24 Mar 2022

How Upcoming Digital Vetting Technology Can Help Policing

Tom Conlon, Talent Clouds, part of techUK's Emerging Tech in Policing Week. #DigitalPolicing

Public trust in policing has been in the spotlight recently to an extent like very few times before. According to an October 2021 YouGov survey, 48% of people are ‘unconfident’ in the police’s ability to address local crime adequately, with only 43% being ‘confident’.  

One way this perception can be changed successfully is by ensuring that the vetting process is as efficient, thorough, and most importantly, secure as possible. 

How Digital Can Help 

There are two relevant areas of vetting technology for policing - the ability to request pre-employment checks, and the ability to validate identity documents through upcoming IDVT technology. Conducting both of these aspects digitally can help policing in several ways: 

  1. Reduce Likelihood of Error 

Technology can reduce the number of errors throughout the vetting process by identifying mistakes and discrepancies in the candidate’s details, minimising the number of fines issued for erroneous applications, and ensuring that candidates are exactly who they say they are. 

Validating identity documents digitally also has myriad benefits, including being able to identify the latest techniques used by fraudsters better than the naked eye, and reducing the manual effort required by the hiring police service in receiving the original copy of the document and confirming its validity in-person. 

  1. Time & Money Saved 

As has been alluded to, technology can make the whole document validation and vetting processes more efficient.  

Errors are more likely to be spotted before any applications are sent, and the fact that digital applications and processes do not take as long to complete and return as manual, paper-based, applications mean the new hire can start their new role sooner, safe in the knowledge that they are fully vetted. 

  1. A More Well-Rounded Vetting Process 

Technology enables oversight into the vetting status of the entire workforce in a way that manual applications just cannot provide. 

It is possible to see if any longer-serving employees require an update to their vetting status with technology, due to its ability to store worker information, and a clear database of what vetting checks were conducted when. This brings safeguarding and security to the forefront of the vetting process, rather than treating it as a pre-employment box-ticking exercise. 

These benefits combined, in particular the ability to monitor the vetting status of every worker constantly, can, in time, lead to greater public trust in the police as the greater emphasis on safeguarding becomes clear. 

Technology in Practice 

It is one thing to say the technology exists, but showing it works is another. Moving to a digital solution can be daunting, particularly if there is any uncertainty about whether there will be a long-term improvement. 

The performance of the technology in other sectors should put minds at ease, however. As an example, by moving to a digital solution, Essex County Council have managed to: 

  • Save over £250,000 annually thanks to increased efficiencies in the pre-employment processes 

  • Save 10,000 manual hours manually due to the increased ease of the vetting process 

  • Reduce their average time to onboard from 2 weeks to 4 days 

Final Thoughts 

IDVT and the extension of digital ID verification as a result of overwhelming demand from organisations shows that the technology not only exists, but works across a variety of high-compliance sectors. 

Policing should not shy away from this. The technology works – let's use it. 

 

Author:

Tom Conlon, Talent Clouds

 

Georgie Morgan

Georgie Morgan

Head of Justice and Emergency Services, techUK

Georgie joined techUK as the Justice and Emergency Services (JES) Programme Manager in March 2020, progressing to Head of Programme in January 2022.

In her current role, Georgie leads techUK’s engagement and initiatives across the blue light and criminal justice sectors. She works closely with industry and stakeholders to drive innovation, address challenges, and anticipate future needs, while showcasing the critical role technology plays in delivering essential public safety and justice services. Through the JES programme, she provides a platform for suppliers, helping them navigate and establish themselves in the blue light and criminal justice markets.

Before joining techUK, Georgie spent four and a half years managing a Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP) in Westminster. Collaborating with the Metropolitan Police and local councils, she focused on mitigating the impact of crime on the business community. Her efforts spanned addressing low-level street crime and anti-social behavior to managing critical incidents and violent crime.

Email:
[email protected]
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgie-henley/

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