Police Digital Service Announces Partnership with BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT
The Police Digital Service (PDS) has announced a new partnership with BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, aimed at enhancing digital capability, professional standards, and career development across UK policing. This collaboration will provide police staff and officers with access to BCS membership and expertise, supporting the development of technical skills and fostering innovation across law enforcement.
As part of the agreement, policing will have access to 470 membership places with BCS – the UK’s professional body for IT professionals – open to all territorial forces (10 per force), plus Police Service Northern Ireland, British Transport Police, College of Policing, and the National Crime Agency. Through this partnership agreement, forces will be supported by BCS and have access to a wide range of resources and services for their continuing professional development. The implementation will including close working with the College of Policing to factor into wider training and capability development for policing.
The partnership enables policing to benefit from the high professional standards and recognised registrations offered through BCS, which has a royal charter. These include pathways such as MBCS, RITTech and CITP, which demonstrate a clear commitment to ethical and high-quality IT practice.
Members will also have access to workforce planning and digital skills development tools built around established frameworks including SFIAplus and the Government Digital and Data framework (formerly DDaT). These resources support role design, skills assessments and effective digital career planning, helping PDS and policing teams shape the digital workforce of the future.
By strengthening both professional capability and ethical digital practice, the partnership also underpins public confidence in how technology and data are used to keep people safe.
The collaboration reflects PDS’ commitment to delivering the ambitions of the National Policing Digital Strategy 2025–2030, which focuses on modernising technology, improving data-driven decision-making, and ensuring public safety in an increasingly digital world.
Chief Constable Rob Carden, NPCC Lead for Digital, Data and Technology, welcomed the partnership, stating: “Digital, data and technology is pivotal to the success of wider police reform. It drives better prevention and detection of crime, increases efficiency and enhances public safety.
“I’m delighted to be working with the British Computer Society, ensuring that our people can become more digitally literate; with the skills and knowledge needed to harness technology effectively and responsibly.
This partnership is an important step in ensuring policing remains agile, innovative, and equipped to meet the challenges of a rapidly evolving digital world.”
Tony Eastaugh CBE, CEO of the Police Digital Service, added: “Our collaboration with BCS underlines our commitment to professional development and excellence in technology. This initiative supports our wider efforts to empower policing through digital innovation and the capabilities that we provide for forces. By connecting policing with the wider tech community, we can accelerate innovation and deliver better outcomes for the public.”
Sharron Gunn, CEO of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, said: “This partnership reflects our shared ambition to build a digitally confident and ethically grounded policing workforce. By supporting officers and staff to develop recognised professional skills, we’re strengthening the foundations of public trust in how technology and data are used. We are proud to work with PDS to help ensure policing has the digital capability it needs to keep our communities safe.”
The partnership will run for an initial 12-month period, with options to expand access to BCS resources as demand grows. It forms part of PDS’ broader strategy to build a digitally skilled workforce and deepen collaboration between policing and the technology sector.
