In this month’s PolicingTV Highlights, we revisit four standout moments from recent interviews covering remembrance, forensic innovation, career resilience and football policing. The programme begins with the Police Unity Tour, where survivors and senior police leaders explain why remembering fallen officers and supporting their families remains so important, even decades after a loss.
The episode also features York Regional Police demonstrating how rapid DNA can turn a 45-day wait into an arrest in just four days, Deputy Chief Constable Catherine Akehurst reflecting on failed promotion boards and persistence, and Chief Constable Mark Roberts recalling what it was like policing Manchester United at Old Trafford as a lifelong Manchester City fan.
What does the Police Unity Tour mean to families who have lost loved ones in service? Survivors and police chiefs explain why remembrance matters—and how support can still make a difference more than 50 years later.
UK Police Unity Tour: Remembering Officers Who Never Came Home
How can DNA turn a 45-day wait into an arrest in just four days? York Regional Police reveals how rapid DNA, advanced fingerprint technology and firearms testing are helping investigators solve serious crimes much faster now.
How York Regional Police Uses Forensics to Cut Delays
What happens when you’re great at the job but still fail the promotion process? Deputy Chief Constable Katherine Airst reflects on rejection, self-doubt and why persistence still matters—but only when you do it on your terms.
DCC Catherine Akehurst: Rejected twice before joining the police
How does a Manchester City fan end up policing Manchester United at Old Trafford? Chief Constable Mark Roberts recalls working with Sir Alex Ferguson—and being in charge when City won 6-1 at the home of their biggest rivals.!
Mark Roberts: From Beat Cop to Chief Constable
Key takeaways
- The Police Unity Tour gives bereaved families a powerful way to remember loved ones and stay connected to the policing community.
- COPS provides long-term support to families who may still feel the impact of loss decades later.
- Rapid DNA can reduce investigative waiting times from weeks to hours in serious crime cases.
- York Regional Police uses advanced fingerprint and firearms technology alongside DNA to speed up investigations.
- Catherine Akehurst says failing promotion processes can be frustrating even when you are performing well in the role.
- Repeated rejection can become a self-fulfilling prophecy if confidence begins to suffer.
- Catherine argues that progression should happen on your terms rather than simply chasing rank.
- Mark Roberts recalls policing Manchester United while secretly enjoying City’s famous 6–1 win at Old Trafford.
Chapters
00:30 – What the Police Unity Tour means to families
03:10 – How rapid DNA speeds up investigations
06:00 – Catherine Akehurst on when good performance still isn’t enough
08:38 – A City fan policing Manchester United
We’re on our way to 2,000 subscribers on YouTube, and we’d love your help getting there! If you find our PolicingTV content valuable, please consider subscribing and joining our growing community.
Subscribe for more leadership conversations from inside and beyond policing
We have launched a YouTube channel where you can also view our videos – just click here and please like and subscribe PTV Youtube
PolicingTV content is being brought to you in partnership with Quantexa & Kodex
Quantexa is a global data, analytics and AI software company pioneering Decision Intelligence to help organizations make confident decisions with contextual data. Our Decision Intelligence Platform transforms siloed data into connected, contextual intelligence, creating a trusted, AI-ready foundation for decision-making across the enterprise.
By connecting data from disparate sources and revealing hidden relationships between people, organisations, assets and events, Quantexa enables organisations to make smarter, faster decisions with greater confidence.
By shifting from data-driven to decision-centric operations, Quantexa empowers organisations to protect, optimise and grow through better decisions. Trusted by leading banks, government agencies, regulators, and enterprises worldwide, Quantexa helps customers turn contextual data into confident action in the age of AI.
To discover more about Quantexa’s Policing capabilities, click here
Kodex revolutionises the way organisations manage sensitive data requests from law enforcement and government agencies, transforming a traditionally complex process into a secure, streamlined workflow that ensures compliance, enhances security, and reduces operational costs.
Trusted by over 90,000 government agents and industry leaders like Binance, Airbnb, Match Group, and LinkedIn, Kodex sets the industry standard for secure data exchange — powered by a global intelligence network and advanced threat detection capabilities.
To learn more about Kodex, click here – If you are part of a government agency and need to create an account, click here