Tackling technology debt: the key to successful innovation
Digital transformation has the power to be a cultural change and not just technical
Public confidence in policing is closely tied to harnessing technology. With 66 percent of Brits feeling the police are not investing in the right digital tools to enhance public safety, police forces should rethink their approach to prioritize digital, data, and technology (DDaT).
Whilst there is clear evidence of digital progress across police forces, there are inconsistencies and still much to do to keep pace with the evolving environment.
The Police Foundation’s Power of Information report revealed 90 percent of current police IT spend is allocated to maintaining legacy systems. This “technology debt” diverts funds away from innovation and reduces the ability to respond effectively and efficiently to demand. Digital, data, and technology are critical to enabling officers and staff, and modern connectivity should be at the core of transformation to ensure future investments deliver for citizens, officers, and staff.
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Evolving infrastructure and the win for data
A successful DDaT strategy hinges on modernizing the core network infrastructure that supports all aspects of policing. A resilient and high-capacity network is essential for enabling secure, real-time access to critical systems and data.
Transitioning from WAN to SD-WAN provides the flexibility and reliability to support a more mobile and cloud environment, ensuring security and performance in respect of live data feeds, digital evidential capture, and use of AI. Without this underlying capability, police forces will continue to struggle with siloed systems and fractured data. True interoperability, an urgent need identified in the Police Foundation report, depends on standardized, intelligent networks that allow data to flow between platforms and people. This is vital for enabling real-time operational decisions, improving evidence-based policing, and supporting the success of new units like the National Data and Analytics Office (NDAO).
From implementation to impact
The failure to address foundational issues in connectivity hampers the potential of even the most forward-thinking DDaT initiatives. Consider the National Enabling Programme (NEP), which introduced cloud-based capabilities across policing. Although widely praised for aligning with operational needs and accelerating digital working during the pandemic, its early closure left gaps in continuity, especially in post-deployment adoption. Many argue that the program ended prematurely before its full benefits could be realized.
Lessons from the NEP, and echoed in the Power of Information report, point to the need for long-term infrastructure and change management planning. This includes sustained investment in modern network architecture to support the adoption of cloud-native tools and national digital services. With developments like the proposed new National Centre for Policing (NCoP), there is an opportunity to ensure that infrastructure strategy is embedded into digital policy and delivery, or ‘back to basics’ we could say.
While its scope and scale are still being determined, NCoP will hopefully ensure policing in the UK takes advantage of the latest technology available and is better equipped to meet the evolving nature of crime. It will also minimize the differences in capability between police forces and ensure more consistency across the country. This will also help create a pathway to nationalize successful local innovation trials and improve policing’s ability to collect data to support better strategic decision-making.
Empowering people, driving change
Digital transformation is not purely technical. It is also cultural. The Power of Information report rightly identifies leadership capability and workforce digital skills as key enablers of successful transformation. But without robust connectivity, digital tools become underutilized or untrusted—particularly in frontline environments where reliability is critical.
Upskilling officers and staff in digital tools must go hand-in-hand with ensuring those tools perform. That means seamless, always-on access powered by modern network solutions that are secure, scalable, and built for policing’s unique operational demands.
Strategic partnerships with the private sector are also essential. The report acknowledges the opportunity to utilize external expertise to support progress. With only 30 percent of officers saying their forces invested wisely in technology, forces need not only suppliers, but collaborators who understand their operating context and can develop solutions that improve the service to the public and drive innovation. SD-WAN and network modernization providers have a vital role to play in this transformation journey, helping build police forces that are digitally confident and connected.
Creating a connected, capable Future
To thrive in the digital age, UK policing must look beyond piecemeal investment and embrace a whole-system approach to DDaT. That starts with tackling legacy debt but doing so in a way that prioritizes connectivity and infrastructure as the enabler of everything else.
Agile governance, better interoperability, and data sharing will only be possible with a secure network underpinning them. With modern SD-WAN architecture in place, forces can improve collaboration, ensure technology resilience, and unlock the true value of digital innovation.
Fostering a culture of digital transformation across all levels of policing is of equal importance. With the right structures in place, police forces can harness the power of technology to empower officers, improve service delivery, and further enhance public safety.
It is time to reimagine digital policing, not just through tools, but through the networks that carry them.
