Police Digital Service partners with BCS to overhaul law enforcement IT skills

The Police Digital Service (PDS) has entered a strategic partnership with BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, in a bid to standardise and professionalize the technical workforce across UK law enforcement.

The collaboration is designed to tackle the digital skills gap within policing, ensuring that officers and staff are equipped to handle the increasing technological demands of modern crime prevention. The initiative will see the rollout of 470 BCS membership places distributed across all territorial forces, as well as the Police Service Northern Ireland, British Transport Police, the College of Policing, and the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Supporting the National Policing Digital Strategy

The partnership comes as law enforcement agencies face growing pressure to modernize legacy systems and improve data handling capabilities. The PDS stated that the move is directly aligned with the National Policing Digital Strategy 2025–2030, which prioritizes data-driven decision-making and public safety in a digital-first world.

Chief Constable Rob Carden, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Lead for Digital, Data and Technology, described the initiative as a critical component of wider police reform.

"Digital, data, and technology [are] pivotal to the success of wider police reform. It drives better prevention and detection of crime, increases efficiency, and enhances public safety," Carden said. "I’m delighted to be working with the British Computer Society, ensuring that our people can become more digitally literate, with the skills and knowledge needed to harness technology effectively and responsibly."

Standardisation and accreditation

A key element of the partnership is the introduction of industry-recognised standards to police IT roles. Participating staff will gain access to professional registration pathways, including RITTech (Register of IT Technicians) and CITP (Chartered IT Professional).

By adopting these frameworks, the PDS hopes to create a more consistent structure for career progression and recruitment, a longstanding challenge in the public sector where competition with private tech firms for talent is fierce. Forces will utilise the SFIAplus (Skills Framework for the Information Age) and the Government Digital and Data framework to map roles and assess skills gaps.

Tony Eastaugh CBE, CEO of the Police Digital Service, emphasized that connecting policing with the broader technology community is essential for innovation.

"Our collaboration with BCS underlines our commitment to professional development and excellence in technology," Eastaugh said. "By connecting policing with the wider tech community, we can accelerate innovation and deliver better outcomes for the public."

Ethics and public trust

Beyond technical skills, the partnership places a heavy emphasis on ethics. With the use of AI, facial recognition, and algorithmic policing under increasing scrutiny, the BCS aims to ground the workforce in ethical best practices.

Sharron Gunn, CEO of BCS, noted that professional accreditation is vital for maintaining public confidence. "This partnership reflects our shared ambition to build a digitally confident and ethically grounded policing workforce," she said. "By supporting officers and staff to develop recognised professional skills, we’re strengthening the foundations of public trust in how technology and data are used."

The program will run for an initial 12-month period, with provisions to expand access to resources based on demand.