Home Office launches Security Innovation Demonstration Centre

The Partnership for Conflict, Crime and Security Research is supporting the Security Innovation Demonstration Centre (SIDC), launched today by the Home Office.

SIDC brings together government, industry and academia to explore security and policing challenges and enable the rapid development of technology.

The launch will showcase the UK’s current and future policing capabilities in realistic environments, such as a neighbourhood policing scene and a serious crime scene, to demonstrate the benefits of various technologies in cutting crime and protecting the public.

Beginning with a pilot in May 2013, SIDC has so far supported the development of body-worn video, aiming to ensure that the technology is fit for police purpose, that it protects the privacy of others, and that the evidence collected is secure and admissible in court.

From January 2015, SIDC will undertake a number of projects including development of the ‘digital police officer’, supporting SMEs to develop rapid drug, alcohol and explosive detection technologies and tools, and increasing our understanding of organised crime in the digital world.

SIDC is overseen by the Security and Resilience Growth Partnership, a ministerial-led working group which aims to put the UK at the forefront of the global export market. It identifies opportunities for British security companies overseas and promotes the UK security industry’s capabilities and expertise.

For more information visit the SIDC website.