The tragic events in Woolwich, London, yesterday, where a serving member of the armed forces was attacked whilst off duty, has led to much discussion and analysis already. As is often the case, we are left asking the question: “Could we have done more?”
It is reported that it took 14 minutes for the armed police response unit SCO19 to arrive on site. Whilst this is a short amount of time in which to mobilise a unit and reach a location, and while there is no doubt at all that the responding units operated with haste and absolute bravery, it remains a long time for two armed individuals to walk freely amongst an ever-increasing crowd of onlookers.
This event took place next to an army base where there would likely have been a military police presence. Members of the public would have contacted 999 as the incident unfolded; if the local army base had been aware of activity in such a close proximity, could they have provided aid more swiftly?
I consider the situation that our nation faced during the Second World War when we had an urgent need to employ every possible asset we had available in the most effective manner. The most important aspect of such efforts was to ensure that fast and accurate communication was achieved.
Improving communications
Currently, many different solutions are used for police control rooms. If we could agree on a standardised approach such as the popular STORM platform from Steria then we could more easily provide integration with ARCs (alarm receiving centres) if the forces involved commit to investing in the work required. At the same time we could then use standard interfaces to distribute alerts based on such things as proximity to a location of any relevant assets on the ground.
These assets could include armed forces and private businesses that are accredited members of the security industry. Such groups are able to ensure that they assist in an appropriate manner to help keep us all safe, as it is what they already do every day of the year in some cases.
We should move forward with a focus on the best possible use of our many skilled and capable individuals and adopt a wartime mentality which utilises the best of modern technology to ensure the greatest efficiency of our services.