Ian Williams

Articles by: Ian Williams

Mobile data: The view from the frontline

26th June 2018

Ch Insp Ian Williams, Business Lead for Digital Policing, WYP

OPINION: Business Lead for Digital Policing for West Yorkshire Police Chief Inspector Ian Williams explores his force's digital transformation and what a difference the right application can make to frontline policing.

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Ian Williams
Chief Inspector
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I am a police Chief Inspector currently serving with West Yorkshire Police as the Business lead for Digital Policing. I have 31 years’ service having initially joined the Metropolitan Police before transferring. I am married with two children aged 6 and 15 and as such try to spend as much time at work as I can! My passion in policing was always community/partnership and public order based but lately, the need to digitally enable the frontline officer has probably out trumped both of these. I spent the first 15 years as an operational uniformed PC in Central London which assists greatly now, as a leader charged with delivering solutions on behalf of those who still work at the coal face. Upon promotion I quickly specialised in Community Policing, winning the Colin Cramphorn Trophy for services to neighbourhood policing in 2010 and representing West Yorkshire Police at the national awards. I developed an Integrated Partnership Hub to identify and tackle hidden vulnerabilities not catered for in mainstream work, this involved integration of IT and co-location of resources. Latterly in my current role I work with IT to ensure that Digital Products meet the requirements of operational officers, but perhaps more significantly, delivering the cultural change required to ensure its effective use. Working with our current supplier I have continuously pushed the agenda to achieve greater and more innovative integration both internally and collaboratively with other forces and partner agencies. My team won the Paperless in Public Sector award for Process and Workflow Project of the year in 2016. Public Order has been a theme throughout my career and I have been a Bronze Commander for several years. I also regularly perform the role of Firearms Silver Commander.