Mark43 Convenes UK Policing Leaders for Digital Reform Forum

Mark43, a leading cloud-native public safety technology company, recently convened a forum in Manchester to bring together senior leaders from UK policing, government, technology, and research sectors. The event, the 2026 DDaT Forum, aimed to advance digital reform and share best practices in the field of policing.

More than 100 senior leaders from various police forces, government bodies, and technology companies attended the forum. Matt Polega, President, co-founder, and managing director of the UK operations at Mark43, emphasized the importance of technology in modern policing. He stated, "UK policing has a real opportunity to rethink the role technology plays in day-to-day operations. Technology should make it easier for officers and staff to do their jobs, reducing administrative burden, connecting information, and giving people the tools they need when they need them."

The discussions at the forum centered on several key priorities, including modernizing legacy infrastructure, improving interoperability and access to data, adopting AI responsibly, and scaling successful local innovations. Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester Kate Green highlighted the importance of collaboration and innovation, noting that bringing leaders from across the sectors together is crucial for translating innovation into better public services and safer communities.

Chris Todd, Chief Constable of Humberside Police and the NPCC Lead for Data Integration, stressed the need to connect successful local innovations and improve how data moves across policing. "Greater Manchester has always been a place where collaboration and innovation can drive meaningful change," Todd said. "Bringing leaders from across policing, government, and technology together to share ideas and learn from one another is an important part of this process."

James Slessor, Managing Director of UK and Global Public Safety Lead at Accenture, echoed the importance of collaboration and shared learning. "The scale of change underway across policing makes collaboration and shared learning more important than ever," Slessor stated. "It requires rethinking how people, processes, and technology work together in new ways to deliver better outcomes."

Andy Newsham, a Safety & Security Subject Matter Expert at PwC, emphasized the need for forces to navigate questions around operating models, investment, governance, and how local transformation can contribute to broader progress. "Forces are navigating questions around operating models, investment, governance, and how local transformation can contribute to progress across policing," Newsham said. "This is an opportunity to connect those pieces so reform delivers tangible results."

Blair Gibbs, Director of the Police Foundation, discussed the evolving role of AI in policing. "The conversation around AI in policing is moving beyond what the technology can do to where it can genuinely add value," Gibbs stated. "That means being rigorous about the problems we are trying to solve, the safeguards that need to be in place, and how we maintain the confidence of both the workforce and the public."

Joe Manning, Managing Director of Invest Manchester, highlighted the city-region's strength as a place where organizations can collaborate, innovate, and shape the future of public services. "Greater Manchester has a strong track record of bringing together technology, innovation, and public service, and we're pleased to see Mark43 continuing to invest and grow its presence here," Manning said.

The forum brought together leaders from diverse backgrounds, reflecting the collaboration required to build a more connected, resilient, and effective future for UK policing. Mark43's integrated Records Management, Command & Control, and Data Analytics solutions form a unified, real-time platform that streamlines workflows and improves response times. Trusted by more than 300 agencies across the UK and the U.S., Mark43's cloud-native platform equips public safety professionals with innovative tools, AI capabilities, and a robust cybersecurity foundation to help agencies meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.