Exclusive Q&A: Simon Newman

Simon Newman, Head of Cyber and Business Services for Police CPI explains the importance of international cooperation in preventing crime.

What are the key aims and objectives of Police CPI?

At Police CPI we categorise ourselves as a catalyst for crime prevention – that comes as a result of our work with police forces across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In doing so, we help to reduce and prevent crime as well as the demand placed upon police officers; we do all of this through our nine initiatives, all of which support this overarching aim. Working as a not-for-profit organisation, anything we generate income-wise is invested directly back into crime prevention work.

What are some of the best practices that Police CPI has taken from other countries/regions?

Crime prevention is a huge, expanding area and, naturally, crime is present in every country and region across the globe. Subsequently, it is important to keep an eye on things that happen in other countries to see how they are tackling problems that we may have in the UK currently or can expect to appear in the future. One of the things we look at very carefully is how governments are using legislative tools to bring about change; one of the major sectors we are seeing this in is cybersecurity and IoT where legislation is being bought in to try and ensure a degree of security to products in this space.

In the UK, we have been working closely with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to develop our own scheme that not only reflects government commitments to legislation but one that also works well with manufacturers who are developing products related to such sectors. Internationally, we have looked very closely at how other countries are producing advice and guidance as well as how they are managing certain risks.

What are the key lessons that Police CPI has learned from these countries?

Legislation is one tool that is available to governments, however, this is a lengthy process that does not always solve issues. Other things that we like to see are innovative approaches undertaken by countries to tackle certain issues, whether this be through closer working with a wider range of stakeholders or looking at key issues from different perspectives. Specifically, we are supporting the building industry and local government in the development of new housing estates – in these areas, where security is built into their design, we can reduce the opportunities that criminals may have to commit crimes.

Prior to my work at Police CPI, I worked as an advisor in the UAE and part of my job was to go out and look at best practices around the world with a view of collating and translating them to see how they could be adopted and applied in the region. We always have to look outside the UK to see if we can learn lessons and apply this learning to our own management of issues. By being open to new ideas, we capture a lot of information and can continue to innovate.

Why is international cooperation so important when it comes to security?

Crime, in many respects, has changed significantly. Not only is it more international than it ever has been, the way that criminals are working via the internet is rapidly developing – there are no longer traditional boundaries. As a result, international collaboration is absolutely essential and is the only way to tackle some of these major issues. By understanding problems across the globe, we can bring ideas back to the UK. Equally, for Police CPI, we can use the lessons we have learned in the UK to solve problems for other governments and organisations looking to reduce crime rates across the world.

What does the roadmap look like for Police CPI throughout 2022?

It is a really ambitious time for us at the moment! We are planning the next 12 months and are assessing what the landscape of crime could be like in the next ten years and beyond. Within this, we are looking to work with more stakeholders and build more solid relationships with government, police and other agencies. It is a really exciting journey that will see us, I hope, take an even more significant role in tackling the type of crimes that we are currently seeing.

For more information, visit: www.securedbydesign.com

This article was originally published in the December 2021 edition of International Security Journal. Pick up your FREE digital edition here