Unlocking the next generation of Control Rooms: a tech-enabled roadmap for change
International Control Room Week
To celebrate International Control Room Week, we wanted to share our insights on the next generation of Police Control Rooms, and our thoughts on what the roadmap for the future holds. At Kin + Carta, we’ve teamed up with Microsoft to assess Police Control Rooms across the country via our Citizen-Centric Maturity Assessment, and create tech-enabled roadmaps that enable Forces to move forward on their transformation journeys. Through this work we’ve unearthed first-hand insights into the challenges facing Control Rooms, with these insights & stats highlighted below, and identified tangible ways in which Forces can tackle them, from large-scale transformation to what we at Kin + Carta call “thin slices” of change.
Our insights reaffirm that it’s a blend of people, processes, data, and technology that is key to unlocking the next generation of Control Room transformation. Whilst technology and data are essential enablers, it is crucial to have the right people and processes on board to really maximise their impact.
Addressing Challenges Head-On
Regional Police Forces in the UK have shown impressive resilience in managing increasing demand from their communities. However, recruitment challenges due to economic shifts resulting from the pandemic, continued budget scrutiny, and the increasing complexity of demand have all emphasised the need for a comprehensive transformation strategy that truly addresses the root causes of challenges.
Our research found that, amongst the Forces assessed, 50% of survey respondents had been with their respective Force for over five years. Whilst this stat may feel positive, it does signal that a large majority of lived experience and knowledge is retained in only half of the workforce. This signals the importance of prioritising employee experience and implementing the right tools and systems that make it easier for new recruits to get up to speed.
Our research also found that only 12% of survey respondents felt that their leadership was focussed on the community and its outcomes, and lacked a clear strategy to deliver on the needs of the public. Forces are struggling to balance strategic, regulatory, operational and team needs alongside delivering on community needs and outcomes. Further, over 50% of staff surveyed felt that their culture was lacking in citizen-focussed outcomes and that this limited their ability to make a difference in their community.
Control Rooms are in the difficult position of having to adapt to meet both present, but also oncoming challenges, whilst also having to juggle the day to day requirements of running an emergency service.