Police officers’ IT skills hamper fight against cybercrime
POLICE chiefs should be allowed to fire officers whose IT skills are not fit for purpose, a report suggests.
Reform, an independent think tank, said being able to get rid of staff who were computer illiterate means forces would be better able to tackle surging levels of cybercrime.
But serving officers insist that the police are well versed at using technology to fight crime of all descriptions.
According to the report, restrictions preventing serving officers from being made redundant mean Chief Constables are hamstrung when it comes to tailoring their forces to meet the changing face of crime. The report stated: “Senior managers, officers and staff argued that the ability to fire officers without the necessary skills would allow chiefs to get the skill base to meet digital demand and shift culture.”
In 2012 a review of police pay and conditions recommended the introduction of compulsory severance. But the proposal was not taken up, and officers kept the right to a job for life. The study from Reform, published today, has called for the issue to be revisited.
Alexander Hitchcock, co-author of the report, said: “Chiefs should have the ability to make officers redundant if their roles have changed because of digital crime and officers have been unable to develop the skills to fill the roles.
“This will be a small minority of officers. We are arguing that forces should give officers every chance to develop IT skills through apps and university partnerships, as well as have the equipment to help them meet digital demand.”
He added: “As people live more of their lives online, they need confidence that the police will help them do this securely. Bobbies urgently need the technology, skills and confidence to patrol an online beat.”
Studies suggest that almost half of all crime is now either dependent on or enabled by technology, with people 20 times more likely to fall victim to fraud than robbery. The report also called for the recruitment of 12,000 IT volunteers to help fight cybercrime, and said the Government should invest an extra £450 million in police technology.
The suggestions were not welcomed by rank and file officers.
Simon Kempton, lead on Digital Policing and Cybercrime for the Police Federation, said: “It is wrong to suggest that the police service has failed to change … this report shows a lack of understanding of the regulations which already allow for the dismissal of underperforming officers.
“To simply dismiss officers who are less conversant with the digital world is to treat with absolute contempt those who are prepared to sacrifice everything for the public they serve.”