Two employees of the company responsible for overseeing the development and delivery of the National Police Digital Strategy have been arrested on suspicion of fraud, bribery, and misconduct in public office. The City of London Police has taken them into custody, interviewed them, and released them on bail. They have also been suspended from their positions at the Police Digital Service (PDS) while the investigation continues. Detective Superintendent James Halkett confirms that the City of London Police are leading a criminal investigation into the allegations. The investigation, known as Operation Albaston, was launched after reports of misconduct by a “small number of staff” at PDS.
PDS has stated that the suspects will undergo an employee misconduct review conducted by an independent HR consultancy. Despite the ongoing investigation, the company’s work is unaffected. PDS, a private company funded by the Home Office and the policing sector, is responsible for coordinating digital services for UK police forces and implementing the National Policing Digital Strategy. The organization’s goals include providing police officers with the necessary digital tools, ensuring public safety through data sharing and technology, and improving citizen interaction with the police through digitally enabled experiences.
PDS has played a key role in promoting a cloud-first approach for police forces in the UK, leading to a nationwide shift of policing data and applications to the cloud. Financial reports from PDS show a profit of £2.4m after tax and a turnover of £73m for the most recent fiscal year. In the previous year, the company reported a profit of £2.7m after tax and turnover of £54m.