In this third Policing TV interview, Alex Franklin-Smith, former Chief Constable of Warwickshire Police and now with Salesforce, looks ahead to the future of policing. Alex discusses the UK police reform programme, possible changes to force structures, the creation of a new National Police Service and the opportunities technology could create if reform is delivered with sufficient pace and consistency.
The conversation also focuses heavily on AI in policing, including the ambition to return millions of hours of productivity to the service, the nervousness that still exists around AI and why Alex believes police leaders need a stronger understanding of emerging technology. Looking internationally, he reflects on shared challenges facing policing around the world before answering a more personal question: could he ever return to policing as a warrant-card carrying officer?
Key takeaways
- Alex believes policing must constantly reform and adapt or risk moving backwards.
- Bringing national policing bodies together could improve consistency and speed up delivery.
- Reducing the number of police forces may be easier to recommend than to deliver in practice.
- Technology companies have an important role in helping policing turn reform proposals into operational improvements.
- Police AI has an objective of finding ways to return six million hours of productivity to policing.
- Alex says there is still considerable nervousness and a significant knowledge gap around AI within policing.
- He argues that policing cannot simply add more people to cope with ever-increasing demand and will need technology to help.
- Alex says a future return to policing in a leadership role is something he would consider.
Chapters
00:34 – Looking ahead to the future of policing
01:40 – Warwickshire’s technology success
02:49 – What does police reform mean in practice?
04:06 – Could national policing bodies work together?
06:55 – The future of AI in policing
08:30 – Why policing cannot resource its way out
09:35 – What can UK policing learn internationally?
11:34 – Should policing ever turn AI off?
16:03 – Why policing needs career mobility
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