“I had got to a point in my career where I wanted to develop myself further and enhance my technical skills.
“For me, SWROCU felt like the natural place to move to. Coming here has given me opportunities I probably wouldn’t have had at force level.”
“I’m not suggesting anybody needs my level of background experience to come here. If you’re looking to develop yourself and the skills that you’ve got passion for, I think the ROCU would be an excellent move.”
The TDU sits under the Technical Surveillance Unit (TSU) at the SWROCU, and Andy specialises in using Targeted Equipment Interference (TEI) to disrupt major crimes. It’s a very niche area and one which is set for expansion within SWROCU.
“TEI is an evolving and developing area,” he said. “I’m in the process of educating Senior Investigating Officers (SIOs) within local forces to commission our services and adopt these tactics to aid their investigations.”
Legislation for TEI was passed in 2016 and there are strict procedures that must be followed before agencies can interfere with electronic equipment.
“There are some complexities that go with the use of this tactic as the legislation has safeguards built in to protect the tactics and subsequent dissemination of product obtained.
“It also helps to have an investigative mindset so you can see the gaps where TEI can help, as often you need to be able to sell it without fully disclosing the proposed tactic. Good communication skills help!”
Focusing on serious crimes
Owing to the nature of his work, Andy’s role is covert and he works in a discreet unit.
He said: “The threshold for adopting the tactics is quite high. TEI is not something that you can really utilise for lower-level volume crimes as the serious crime criteria need to be met.
“All TEI tactics must be endorsed by the Chief Constable of the force area in question and then by an IPCO judicial commissioner. These hurdles can make adoption of tactics challenging.
“I try to be present at meetings where Level Two operations are being discussed, so I can hear what the challenges are and then try to offer a solution or go away and develop a solution.”
SIOs in forces have a good knowledge of more conventional off-the-shelf tactics that are already available, but Andy said there is so much more that could be utilised and, therefore, part of his role is to act as a tactical advisor.
“We have adopted the phrase ‘Ask don’t task’,” he said. “Instead of tasking us to deploy a particular tactic, it’s about coming to us, having a conversation, and telling us where the intelligence gaps are.
“We can look at the problem, see what other information around the investigation is present, and then propose the tactic that we think will work best in the circumstances.”
Staying ahead of the curve
This is an area that is rapidly evolving. The technology in play today might be outdated in six months’ time. This ever-changing technological landscape means Andy must keep up to date with these changes.
“I have a fairly technical skillset from previous roles I have worked in where I’ve developed skills such as programming and data analytics,” he admitted.
A thirst for knowledge, along with the aptitude and understanding of how the internet and other computer-based systems work would be an advantage to working in the TDU. And in terms of training and self-development, Andy said the opportunities are plentiful at the ROCU.
“I’ve completed a couple of courses through the College of Policing to help me develop in my new role and I’ve got more to complete in the next couple of months,” he said. “Once I’ve completed the core skill courses that I need, I’ll be looking for more specialist training.
“If someone thinks they might not have all the skills to apply for a role in the TDU, they’ll be given the opportunity to learn as well as work alongside other people who may have the skills and knowledge they don’t. We all assist each other.”
“The ROCU is a really collaborative environment to work in. If, for example, you need help with the electrical assembly of something you’ve developed, our workshop engineers can help. Or if you need to create something a little bit bespoke, there will always be people around who can help.”
As well as his close working relationship with the SWROCU’s five regional forces, Andy also works with other ROCUs on different pieces of work.
“I work closely with the TDU Regional Coordinator and link in with the other ROCUs nationally to share knowledge and to support and develop projects. It is vital the nine ROCUs work together to develop solutions. We’re looking to do more R&D work ourselves to support this collaborative effort.”
Opportunities and room to grow
Andy is keen to stress that you don’t have to be a whizz at programming or network forensics to join the team. Instead, having the right attitude and interests holds the key.
“If you’ve got the interest and are passionate about how and why technology works and have an investigative mindset, then you will enjoy the work.
“The role is still young and will naturally grow and evolve, providing a wide range of opportunities to anyone looking to join the team. The environments you get to work in are varied, from project development-type settings, through to deployment in range of covert settings.
“If you were going into a more challenging environment, there would always be additional staff to support you in doing that.
“Like with most types of policing, there’s the chance you may need to work outside of ‘normal hours’, but to date that has been limited for me.
“I work a 40-hour week doing eight-hour days and there’s quite a lot of flexibility afforded me as to when I work them. I feel fortunate I work in role that offers me a good work-life balance.”
*Name has been changed