The Future of Policing | Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire Visits Dstl

"I've been here in Porton Down,
at #Dstl - the #Defence #Science and #Technology #Laboratory to open a new facility,
a joint facility that's been funded by the Home Office,
so we can work together with the world-leading experts at Dstl.
Well, there two critical ways
that Dstl helps us. The first is through its #research programme
in #digital technology and #forensics to make sure we are always one step
ahead of the #criminals and to make sure we're using the best technology
for #prevention and #detection.
They also provide us
with operational support so that where there is an incident
of some kind unfolding that requires specialist operational #capabilities
that territorial #police forces don't necessarily have themselves,
Dstl personnel are on hand to be deployed alongside the police
in operational #environments to make sure that cutting edge #expertise can be brought
to bear in an operational environment.
I think what happens at Porton Down
is it brings together the law enforcement policing, #counter-terrorism
interests, together with the country's
#military research interest. And I think that is a really important #
collaboration. It means we're working together. It's more #efficient, of course. But also it means ideas can be exchanged and #innovations in one area
can be applied in another. So I think the way this is all now
being concentrated in Dstl makes a huge amount of sense.
Criminals and #terrorists are continually thinking of new ways
to cause #crime and disruption. It is critical
that our thinking stays ahead of that. And that's why a world-leading research
facility like Porton Down is so important. It helps us stay ahead of those trends
to make sure that we are ahead of what criminals and terrorists
and others are doing.
I think it's a unique facility in #Europe,
possibly #globally. We're very lucky to have access to Dstl’s expertise,
and there is no question in my mind it makes a #decisive contribution
to keeping our country #safe."
Dstl is a proven national asset, giving the UK clear advantage across science, technology, cyber and information.
We offer world-class science and technology capability allied to inside #knowledge and #government savvy, and underpinned by deep operational understanding of defence and #security needs.
This enables us to demystify and harness science and technology to give clear military and security advantage through impartial advice and solutions - to innovate the science inside #UK defence and security.

[@vicibox]

Starting to wish I had moved to Porton instead of retiring; Porton was one of my biggest customers at DERA Farnborough. But QinetiQ just wanted my Management skills and moved my lab to Oxford. I walked out. I was heavily involved with forensic work at Harwell. Maybe I should have argued to send my equipment to Porton; they would have needed a Surface Scientist with forensic and nano tech skills to run it; this Surface Scientist - He He