Met police firearms

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Fifty students either studying for a policing degree or Master's degree in Forensic Science participated in trial run.

Lancashire Police is one of only two forces in the UK to pilot a new mobile app aimed at improving the way it works with communities.

INSPEC²T is a European project funded by the European Commission to develop an innovative approach to the concept of community policing.

The force is also one of 18 agencies from eight European countries involved in the project which aims to provide a digital platform which can be used as a real-time, two-way communication tool.

The app will allow the police to give real time information about on-going incidents in an area as well as allowing the public to report incidents by commenting or uploading photos or video from their smart phones.

The pilot, which took place in Preston, is one of five test areas across Europe and is the one of only two in the UK, the other being Belfast in Northern Ireland.

The three other cities involved are Valencia in Spain, Engomi in Cyprus, and Groningen in the Netherlands.

The force has partnered up the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) which is where the three-day pilot took place from November 21.

Over the three days, several scenarios were played out in and around the university campus to volunteer students who used the app to send in a report, pictures and videos of the incidents.

The students - studying for a policing degree or Master’s degree in Forensic Science - downloaded a test version of the app on to their own smart phones and had brief training input on how to use it.

The scenarios focused on issues typically faced by students in the areas where they live, work and socialise.

Lancs Inspector Sue Swift said: “The aim of the Preston pilot has been to build upon our engagement between the police, agencies and students and improve our understanding of issues affecting the student population, promote safety messages, and increase the sharing of information and intelligence."

The force already engages via social media and an information providing service called 'In The Know'. However, with the addition of a two-way conversation app it hopes to boost its capability to cut down and help solve crime.

Insp Swift added: “Being involved in this test will allow us to see if INSPEC²T could compliment this: providing an additional platform to enhance our ability to publish news and information, inform the student population about what we are doing and why we are doing it, appeal for help in solving crime and to find missing people, send out warnings and information to assist people in protecting themselves, encourage conversation, feedback and challenge where appropriate and arrange meetings with local officers.”

Ian Cosh, Director of Resources for Lancashire Police said: “We are proud to have been able to invest in and be involved in this pilot from the very start which could potentially provide us with an option to build upon our established ways of engaging with and sharing information with our communities. As we are one of only two forces in the UK to be involved and I really keen to see it do well and am looking forward to the evaluation.”

Dr Carol Cox, Head of the School for Forensic and Applied Sciences at UCLan, added: “We are delighted to be involved in this exciting and ground breaking project with Lancashire Constabulary and its European partners, which is designed to enhance community policing across the European Union.

“Around 50 of our students are directly involved in the evaluation of the project, now in its final stages, which will contribute to the changing landscape of neighbourhood and community policing in the UK and beyond.”

Lancashire's Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw said: "Creating safe and confident communities means people being able to report incidents to the police quickly and conveniently while receiving regular updates about what the police are doing in their local area. We are constantly looking for ways to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of local policing to deliver the best possible service to the public.

"This pilot will be looking at ways to deliver this through new technology and will build on the community engagement that the constabulary already do through services like In The Know.

“Hopefully it will lead to new ways for the community to maintain contact with the police to improve safety and reduce crime together."

View On Police Oracle

[Pathca + 612]

The distressed woman on the bridge,during the trial was excellent!

[Beaker 817]

I've heard one of the students talking about this, would love to see it in action.

[Zulu 22 + 4,576]

Is it aimed at students? and what about the elderly who need the support more and are far removed from on line technology. I suppose a lot of them vulnerable cannot afford to have all singing, all dancing mobile phones, which are not secure and can be hacked.

[Sceptre + 2,701]

10 minutes ago, Zulu 22 said:

Is it aimed at students? and what about the elderly who need the support more and are far removed from on line technology. I suppose a lot of them vulnerable cannot afford to have all singing, all dancing mobile phones, which are not secure and can be hacked.

The elderly can choose not to use the app, can't they? Other people who live busy lives and don't really need to be seen in person can opt for this convenience, and the risk of their phones being hacked is pretty fanciful. 

This sort of attitude to progress is why we're still sending faxes, getting wet signatures on bits of paper and having to spend half our time travelling to and from police stations to do paperwork 

[Beaker 817]

Is it aimed at students? and what about the elderly who need the support more and are far removed from on line technology. I suppose a lot of them vulnerable cannot afford to have all singing, all dancing mobile phones, which are not secure and can be hacked.

I've only heard about it from students, though I understand anyone will be able to use it who have a compatible phone or tablet, which aren't as easy to hack as The Daily Heil will tell you. The reason I'm guessing they tied it in with UCLAN is that they have a policing degree, and really close ties to LC as part of it.

I'm actually horrified at the state of police computing resources. I'm a nerd, and think like one. I can see even in my limited experience easy ways to speed things up, but I'm led to believe lot of it is down to regulatory frameworks rather than the technology itself.

[Hyphen + 693]

I think technology is always a good thing. There is a lot of stuff that doesn’t necessarily need an officer to actually go out and attend where things could be done through an app, sending things over email or just via the telephone. Forces are starting to use teams who are office based to deal with many low level crimes.

I always find it funny that people can use an app to do banking, order products, bet on live sports events, send videos and pictures together on encrypted platforms and so on, yet when it’s mentioned in a policing context suddenly it’s vulnerable to being hacked and somehow a bad idea. 

I can sign contracts and open credit accounts for a lot of money on my mobile phone within minutes. Why then can’t I report a crime using drop down boxes, sign a proforma statement and send over relevant photo’s/cctv? This would actually saves a good few hours in Officer time.

Imagine getting many of the big retailers, pubs and clubs, petrol stations, universities, schools, hospitals and so on involved. Imagine the efficiency in crime reporting? 

Of course there would need to be an element of screening to ensure that possible forensic opportunities aren’t missed.

If someone is vulnerable or doesn’t wish to use an app then they would simply phone 101.

The benefit to apps and websites is they will often direct people to advice pages, crime prevention advice or signposting to the relevant agency rather than just send a cop out because it’s easier than explaining to someone it’s not a police matter.

For those that have seen the app what is it like? What’s the story of the woman on the bridge? 

[Pathca + 612]

As the distressed woman on the bridge I have some personal experience of the app. It will be for anyone who wants to download it. UCLAN had a pool of relevant mobile phone savvy people to test it out plus facilities etc.  I noticed the article says the scenarios were relevant to students, but on the day I was there ,there was a fly tipping one. There is also some facial recognition software being worked on as part of it.

They are thinking the app will be especially useful in community policing. From what I saw once it is up and running it will be a very useful tool in both directions 

[Beaker 817]

I'd be interested to try it, looks like it could be useful in various ways. Also handy for PCSOs and Enforcement Officers.

[Zulu 22 + 4,576]

16 hours ago, Sceptre said:

The elderly can choose not to use the app, can't they? Other people who live busy lives and don't really need to be seen in person can opt for this convenience, and the risk of their phones being hacked is pretty fanciful. 

This sort of attitude to progress is why we're still sending faxes, getting wet signatures on bits of paper and having to spend half our time travelling to and from police stations to do paperwork 

Heaven forbid that the Police will ever meet the public. Not everybody's lives revolve around mobiles and apps. Policing is all about personal interaction with the public, looking someone in the face and being able to see and judge their reaction, or lack of any.

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Just now, Zulu 22 said:

Heaven forbid that the Police will ever meet the public. Not everybody's lives revolve around mobiles and apps. Policing is all about personal interaction with the public, looking someone in the face and being able to see and judge their reaction, or lack of any.

This is what I’m saying though Zulu, it shouldn’t become mandatory and people would still be more than welcome to call 101 and talk to someone.

Even if I was not in the job for a lot of minor matters I would find it a bit of an inconvenience to try and get a time where an officer could come around and talk to me when the option could be there to submit everything in a short space of time.

If we can be more efficient then we should be embracing it. 

And regarding policing meeting the public as a general point, of course the police meet the public. If there is an emergency or pressing need then the police will go out and see the victim, witnesses etc. This happens now but we need to work smarter. Just because someone phones a job in it shouldn’t mean they automatically get a police officer turning up just for the sake of it.

[Zulu 22 + 4,576]

That is the crux of the problem is that it is becoming almost impossible, for numerous reasons, to even find an officer, never mind speak to one. Policing is about meeting the public not making that almost impossible.

[Growley + 2,436]

That is the crux of the problem is that it is becoming almost impossible, for numerous reasons, to even find an officer, never mind speak to one. Policing is about meeting the public not making that almost impossible.

I actually like the concept. If it's fairly straightforward, you simply don't need an officer to attend, if you can report and submit information online.

Having a cop attend and reassure you may make people feel better, but it's a luxury, not a right.

[Zulu 22 + 4,576]

5 hours ago, Growley said:

I actually like the concept. If it's fairly straightforward, you simply don't need an officer to attend, if you can report and submit information online.

Having a cop attend and reassure you may make people feel better, but it's a luxury, not a right.

Sounds very much like, "Sod the Public and what they want"  There is nothing to replace a little bit of t l c.and re assurance, especially to the vulnerable.

So glad I retired before this attitude prevailed.

[Sceptre + 2,701]

Who said anything about not meeting the needs of vulnerable people? This is quite obviously an attempt to offer an efficient and convenient service to the many millions of people who choose to do everything from their finances to their doctors appointments online or via apps - in many cases sending someone to their door adds no value and is just awkward to fit into a busy schedule.