PDS bolsters police ‘tech’ response to tackling rape and serious sexual offences

The PDS says this initiative, backed by a “substantial” £4 million of Home Office funding, signifies a “crucial stride in enhancing the digital forensic capabilities of police forces across England and Wales”.

The Home Office allocated funds to the PDS Digital Forensics Programme in October 2022 for a second ‘tech uplift’ of the Rape Review Response Project as part of the Government’s response to the End-to-End Rape Review Report and VAWG strategy, .

Following the success of the first uplift (RRRP1), RRRP2 has equipped 31 police forces with cutting-edge hardware, software, training and validation support.

This has already seen 244 pieces of advanced digital equipment delivered to digital forensic specialists and frontline officers across the 31 police forces in England and Wales including:

• 161 laptops, configured to enable officers to swiftly and reliably examine mobile phones at crime scenes, victims’ locations, or within their respective forces;
• 38 kiosks – fixed-site computers designed for targeted searches; and
• 45 tablets – portable devices facilitating rapid data extraction without seizing victims’ mobile devices.

Recognising the importance of having specially trained officers, the Home Office also increased the training budget, enabling the Rape Review Response Project to offer more than 900 courses.

These include certification and training to upskill more than 700 police officers and specialist staff.

Two forces, Derbyshire Constabulary and Suffolk Constabulary, have also been empowered to provide tailored, in-force training to their officers and staff.

Tony Blaker, senior responsible owner at the PDS, said: “This initiative, delivered by PDS with Home Office funding, enables the participating police forces to examine digital devices quicker, selectively gather only the necessary evidence to carry out the investigation, and avoid having to take phones from victims and witnesses in most cases.

“This leads to a more efficient evidence collection and swifter investigations.

“PDS is committed to leading the way in police digital transformation efforts; improving the investigation of rape and building confidence in the criminal justice system – with policing, for policing.”