An increasing amount of data is collected and stored, by private individuals, private companies and public bodies including the police and our partners. This leads to both the challenge and opportunity in the increasing ability to gain insight from sharing and analysing this data. As the NPCC Digital Strategy 2020-2030 states:

Data-driven insight has the potential to be a ‘force multiplier’ – increasing the predictability, precision, pace and impact of our interventions. This game-changing promise of big data and machine learning requires policing to treat data as a strategic asset in how it is captured, managed and analysed. It also requires a collective commitment to its secure flow across our forces and partners, with a proportionate attitude to risk, transparent debate, and a commitment to the ethical use of data.

Due to the sensitive nature of the data entrusted to policing, and the need to police with the consent of our communities who are rightly concerned over the impact on citizens of technology and the processing of persona data, it is of paramount importance that the police service ensures that advanced analytical capabilities are developed and used lawfully, ethically and proportionately.

To this end, the Data Board that sits under the NPCC’s Digital Data and Technology portfolio, is being expanded to include analytics. This will be the first conference solely focussed on advanced data analytics for policing, and delegates will find out about:

• The Policy for Advanced data Analytics in Policing
• The development of the Centre for Data Analytics in Policing
• About some of the really innovative advanced analytics solutions already being developed and delivered in policing

Throughout the conference, there will be plenty of opportunity for networking, including breakout sessions to discuss particular policing problems and advanced data analytics solutions with strategic leaders as well as practitioners.