National Security - A one-trick pony
We have become so reliant on waving the magic IT stick as a way of resolving many of today’s problems in policing that I believe we are missing a trick. Many of the issues in today’s policing come back to the same old adage, not enough staff, not enough budget, and not enough time.
Looking at new tech to solve many of these issues has some success but with it comes a high financial cost, a substantial adoption runway and a huge risk to actual citizen adoption. Often as with communications, you can be left with a huge development and delivery cost and minimal take-up resulting in having to maintain both the new and existing solutions.
Some organisations are re-looking at existing, well-proven, and well-loved communications solutions to squeeze cheaper easier and more adaptable solutions for the policing sector. At Boomerang, we are working to ensure the communication process between citizens and the police authority serves both parties in the best possible way – and that includes taking a well-known, well understood, and well used technology that is utilised by the whole UK population: SMS messaging.
Technology innovation doesn’t always mean creating something new and bigger – sometimes the best solutions involve re-adapting an older, proven and popular technology and applying it in new contexts that can support sectors of society.
By providing an alternative to using the telephone, police authorities will benefit from reduced pressure on call centres, a reduction in costs, and greater control in the management and delivery of policing. Through third-party software solution the reporting of policing issues may be more easily facilitated, and the follow-up of incidents executed at greater speed. Likewise, an SMS-implemented service in the policing sphere will make the process of reporting crime more inclusive and accessible to citizens and will provide an instantly available written record for safekeeping and reference. It is worth mentioning a recurring theme that by offering an easily accessible alternative to the telephone removes the stigma of “wasting police time” or the “embarrassment” associated to having to speak to someone to report crime, especially minor crime.
Digital innovation in policing should be simple and accessible to all – people’s safety depends on it. Services such as Boomerang’s boomEngage strive to ensure police authorities are current, competent, compliant and supported in keeping people safe, and equally, citizens can safely and quickly choose to access a less urgent engagement tool with the police for remote help at all times.
Author:
Peter Tanner, CEO, Boomerang
Georgie Morgan
Georgie joined techUK as the Justice and Emergency Services (JES) Programme Manager in March 2020, then becoming Head of Programme in January 2022.
