An Innovation Fund worth £2 million has been launched by Hampshire police and crime commissioner Donna Jones to help transform front-line policing.
It is designed to support ideas from officers and staff that help policing get back to basics - being visible in communities, succeeding with investigations, solving problems, cutting through red tape and freeing up front-line time.
Ms Jones said: “As a police force, we need to make sure we utilise all resources to ensure we’re modern and fit for the future.
“The use of science and technology is vitally important for that.
“It holds significant potential to be used to make policing better, more transparent and more effective - helping solve operational challenges, reducing crime and delivering a better, trusted service.
“Society faces a unique set of challenges, and by utilising the ideas and solutions of officers and staff we can put them into practice to reduce crime and make our communities safer.”
The fund was announced by Ms Jones at the University of Portsmouth’s Policing Futures Forum, which brought officers and staff together with academics.
They are working together to identify problems, design solutions and put them into practice to help get police back on the streets, reduce crime and make communities safer.
Artificial intelligence is playing a big role in policing across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, with the UKPAC and EyesOn apps helping to fight retail and rural crime.
The force is also one of the first in the country to trial the artificial intelligence virtual assistant Bobbi.
Since November it has answered frequently asked non-emergency questions that come in to the police, offering an additional service alongside online forms, phone lines and front counters for those seeking help or advice.
Ms Jones said: “I want the force to be as forward-thinking and as productive as possible. Science and technology sit at the heart of delivering that.
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