Supporting investigations and saving officer time with automated CCTV request process
There is significant demand for gathering CCTV footage from our local authority partners as a critical part of effective investigations. However, the process for requesting this evidence can be time consuming.
Hertfordshire Constabulary, as part of a tri-force alliance including Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire used the existing capability of the PDS Microsoft 365 blueprint to use simple workflow to standardise the approach and importantly reduce the burden on front line officers to improve this approach for policing, our local authority partners and of course victims of crime.
In our Wednesday Webinar on 15 May 2024, Scott Hague from Hertfordshire Constabulary talked us through the approach to developing, building and implementing the solution which uses the combined functionality of Microsoft Forms, Microsoft Lists, Power Automate and PowerBi to improve this process.
All of the functionality used in this workflow is within the out of the box capability of the Microsoft 365 suite which is used in all UK Police forces. No additional or premium services are needed and it can be built, implemented and maintained without any significant additional skills.
This is a fantastic tactical example of how forces, enabled by the Police Digital Service, are delivering the ambitions of the National Digital Strategy.
Firstly, they are enabling officers and staff through digital, by providing a simple to use mobile phone based app, providing a seamless citizen experience by completing the request whilst they are taking incident details or statements. They are also working with local authority partners, embedding a whole public system approach, as the new process simplifies the requests made to the partners.
More over, this process is enabled by strategic alignment and design – using the standard M365 tools means this process can be adopted by other forces. Using modernised core technology within the M365 environment which is already available, connected technology and managed risk and security as all the data is held in the police environment and build by the talent within our teams.
