LIVE: Community, Policing and Digital

With digital communication on the up, it was only a matter of time before the police got involved. Surrey’s Chief Superintendent for Neighbourhoods, Gavin Stephens, discusses how Surrey Police are about to start using a mobile app to connect with residents in the county of Surrey.

£213m is spent on Surrey’s policing which is considerable, especially when it comes to the matter of delivering what matters to the residents of Surrey, vs. hitting Westminster targets. In order to make policing more cost-effective Gavin explains how new methods of communication such as an app for policing is in development.

Gavin also explains how the Surrey Police website is no longer enough in this day and age. Online communication has moved forward from static, one-way communication – to dynamic two-way exchanges.

‘Policing in your pocket’ is the term Gavin uses to describe the new app. Visibility is an important part of the new venture – it will map where your local police have been - absolutely amazing.

Thank you Gavin – great talk! Oh, interesting fact… Did you know, Police in Japan are obligated to speak to every resident in the area which they police to ensure all is well in the local area? Something tells me the UK should do something similar…