Q&A: Humza Yousaf on the future of policing

 Technology can be used as a force for good and bad and in terms of fighting crime, that means being ahead of the criminals. Are we? 

Policing needs to evolve to meet new and emerging demands, both in terms of prevention and detection. Criminals buy on the black market, they don’t adhere to procurement rules. We have to be nimble and not allow them to get ahead.  

The Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland published their ten-year policing strategy, ‘Serving a Changing Scotland’, in June 2017.  Work is now underway to deliver the strategy and ensure that the police service is  responsive, flexible and capable of meeting the challenges of modern  policing. This includes making more use of technology to prevent and tackle crime and to engage and support service users. 

Police Scotland has also highlighted the need to recruit more civilian cyber specialists to counter the increasing threats posed by cyber crime. 

We are fortunate to have the Scottish Crime Campus, which brings together a  range of agencies including Police Scotland, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), the National Crime Agency (NCA) and HMRC in one  location. 

What new tools can digital technology offer in the fight against crime and what are the greatest emerging online threats? 

As technology changes, there are always new opportunities for criminals to exploit, as well as new tools for law enforcement.  The scope and frequency of cyber crime is expected to continue to increase in future as technology evolves. 

The criminal exploitation of artificial intelligence is likely to enable a greater level of sophistication and amplification of attacks. The growth of the internet of things and 5G networks will also expand the options available for criminal activity. 

The development and sale of cyber crime tools to non-expert hackers will also increase. Cloud computing companies, whilst having high levels of security, will not be completely immune to cyber crime.

A closer collaborative relationship between law enforcement, academia and cyber security experts will support stronger prevention.

International cooperation on cyber crime is strong. For example, the European Cybercrime Centre at Europol offers significant expertise and support in responding to cyber crime. 

This government has been consistently clear on the importance of safeguarding the close co-operation which Scottish police and prosecutors enjoy with their EU counterparts. The Westminster government’s chaotic planning for Brexit is putting at risk the effective operation of these measures. 

Legislation tends to lag far behind advances in technology. What new legislation do we need to cover new forms of crime and crime detection? 

Biometric data is a relatively broad and evolving concept, including fingerprints,  DNA and photographic images as well as new and emerging technologies such as facial recognition software and remote iris recognition. 

The Biometric Data Bill will be introduced later this year to ensure independent oversight of the acquisition, retention, use and disposal of existing, emerging and future biometric data in the context of criminal justice. There will be a specific focus  on ethical and human rights considerations arising from the use of biometric data, and on maximising the benefit of biometric technologies.

The Scottish Government monitors the effectiveness of legislation on an ongoing basis alongside partners across the justice system in Scotland.

Increased use of technology is often considered to be a cost-saving measure, but isn’t there too much reliance on this in future plans in order to reduce budgets at the expense of, for example, police officers and support staff? 

by Jenni Davidson

IT in policing: what lessons have been learned?

Enhancing Police Scotland’s technological capabilities really isn’t about saving money. We’re increasing Police Scotland’s capital budget by £12 million, a 52 per cent capital increase, to support further improvements to ICT, including improved mobile technology. 

This is part of an overall increase in the policing budget to £1.2 billion. We also have considerably more police officers in Scotland when compared to 2007 and the recent police staffing figures also saw an increase. Rather than one affecting the other, I think improved technology can complement high officer numbers.

Some of the changes in crime and punishment facilitated by technology, such as from prisons to electronic tagging in the community, require a significant move of resource for them to work successfully. Do you think you have made sufficient changes in funding to support this? 

The increase in Police Scotland’s capital budget, which has been delivered in a very tight fiscal environment, will support further improvements to their ICT. I have also ensured that policing will fully benefit from being able to reclaim VAT of around £25 million a year, previously paid to the UK Government. I am confident that this will help the service drive forward the improvements that modern policing requires.

I will continue to press the UK Government over the £125 million already paid to HMRC for police VAT.  This has been a windfall for the Treasury and is money that could be better invested in keeping Scotland’s communities safe.

Technology and mobile and data connectivity can be unreliable, particularly in rural parts of the country. How do we overcome this? 

The Scottish Government is committed to improving mobile coverage, which is why we are investing up to £25 million in the Scottish 4G Infill Programme, which will deliver mobile infrastructure and 4G services in selected mobile ‘notspots’ over the four years from 2018/19 to 2021/22. These improvements will help officers make the best use of new mobile technology as it is rolled out across the country.

The failure of the i6 project has left police in Scotland with very dated computer systems. Are you confident that lessons have been learned to ensure planned new systems can be introduced successfully, and what role will you play in supporting that? 

While Audit Scotland did find that good practice had been being followed in relation to planning and procuring the i6 programme, it ultimately failed to deliver.

This was hugely disappointing for all parties. However, the decision to terminate the contract, while ensuring no financial detriment to the public purse, and so protecting taxpayers’ money, was the right one. Lessons have been learned from this experience, and from others, and the service still has the urgent task of modernising Police Scotland’s ICT in front of it.  

We need to ensure that our officers and police staff have the right tools to do their jobs in a time of rapid technological change. I believe that a 52 per cent increase in Police Scotland’s capital budget is a positive first step that will help make considerable improvements to their mobile technology capabilities, ensuring that officers have access to better information whenever and wherever they need it, allowing them to spend more time out and about policing communities across Scotland.

The reaction to Police Scotland’s bid to use cyber kiosks to gather data from mobile devices has been delayed amid concerns about personal data being accessed. How do you balance personal freedoms with using technology in the fight against crime? 

Police Scotland’s code of ethics reflects the three values of Police Scotland, integrity, fairness and respect, and also includes a strong commitment to human rights. I think it’s more than reasonable to expect that our police take our personal freedoms into account when carrying out their duties and I have every confidence that this takes place. However, it should be noted that as the system currently works, they can only seize phones or other electronic devices where there is a lawful basis for doing so. The introduction of cyber kiosks would not change this. That said, Police Scotland have noted the concerns expressed over their plans and are looking again at the possible rollout.

Could you ever see technology replacing the bobby on the beat? 

In short? No. I believe police officers are a fundamental part of our communities and that their visibility offers assurance that they are working hard to keep people safe. 

As a stepfather, do you worry about the level of online abuse and pressures that young people are subject to and is this something that the police alone can tackle? 

Yes.  From my own experiences of schools I visit in my constituency, I hear what young people are saying about online bullying and the effects that social media has on their body image. I find it worrying how technology can make our young people’s lives more difficult. 

An unfortunate by-product of living in the information age is ready access to materials and platforms that could be potentially harmful. This cannot simply be a job for the police, but when criminal activity takes place, they have a clear duty to investigate. 

The Scottish Government published a National Action Plan on Internet Safety for Children and Young People in April 2017. Its priorities are equipping children and young people themselves to stay safe online, as well as supporting professionals, parents and carers to keep young people safe online. It is crucial children and young people understand they could be potentially putting themselves in harm’s way through their online activity. While they may think only their friends can see this information, it can be inadvertently or intentionally shared and expose them to harm. 

The Scottish Government will continue to work with the technology industry and social media companies to ensure children and young people have access to appropriate information and support regarding online safety. We will continue to urge companies to consider how they can better protect children and young people in the online environment.

Parents have an important role to play, too. If you don’t use or fully understand social media, encourage your children to explain it. Show an interest in what they are using and why they are using it and ask questions. Do this regularly, as trends change, and be aware that young people may use multiple platforms to communicate and socialise. Parents and carers should also make a point of setting rules to help ensure young people can enjoy using social media safely and responsibly.