Policing minister briefed on ‘technologies of tomorrow’
Pioneering “less lethal” weapons that can stop an offender at a distance and novel system that greatly increases the performance and usability of a covert audio surveillance system were among the technological innovations demonstrated to the Policing Minister during a visit to a government laboratory.
Kit Malthouse travelled to Dstl, the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, on Tuesday (November 16) to see the latest innovations aimed at assisting the work of the police in keeping the UK safe from knife crime and violent offenders
Mr Malthouse said: “We are committed to making sure the police are equipped with the right tools to protect the public and themselves – and the technologies that Dstl are working on will help us to do just that.
“Knife crime destroys families and communities, so tools which can help detect and remove such weapons before they are used will be vital in preventing further tragedies.
“I’m delighted to see first-hand how government investment has helped create this innovative technology. We will continue to back projects that use science and tech to keep the public and our brave police officers safe.”
Doug Umbers, interim chief executive of Dstl, said: “It has been a great opportunity to show the minister and our Home Office colleagues the science that will be saving lives in the years to come.
“Dstl scientists are a world-class asset for the UK and are immensely proud of the role they are playing to protect police officers in the line of duty as well as keeping our citizens safe from crime and violence.”
Mr Malthouse was briefed on concepts to assist police identify concealed knives being developed by Dstl and industry on behalf of the Home Office.
Dstl efforts are focused on developing and evaluating operational concept demonstrators for detecting knives at pinch points such as entrances to shopping centres or at ticket barriers in stations.
Alongside this, Dstl is also supporting research into emerging innovations which could underpin future detection technology.
It is hoped this research and development work could lead to advanced capabilities for policing and security personnel in future.
