A partnership between five police forces in the North West has begun to train officers and staff in digital investigations.
The Police Digital Academy has launched the five-week programme this month for personnel from the forces for Cumbria, Lancashire, Cheshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester.
It has been running virtual sessions on evidence based digital investigations into areas including domestic abuse.
Cumbria Constabulary said the course had produced positive feedback.
Mainstreaming skills
Its assistant chief constable, Jonny Blackwell, said: “Technology continues to change at pace, which means the threats and opportunities that changing technology provides are also developing quickly. No longer can digital investigation be viewed as a specialist area alone, we must mainstream digital investigation skills across our frontline.
“These remote sessions will continue to be held throughout February and early March. A virtual library of sessions will be available in due course for officers and staff including all academy content.
“One of the key principles of the academy is that training is agile and responsive, as opposed to traditional courses which can take years to roll out. We cannot afford to fall behind technology. Therefore, our training will move at pace to meet the challenges of modern policing.”
He added: “We aim to empower officers and staff with the digital skills needed to engage effectively with communities, foster trust and enhance public confidence in policing by striving for a police service that reflects the digital diversity of the communities it serves.”
