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08 Jul

|Blue Lights, Microsoft, Police Forces

Microsoft Fabric for UK Policing: Modernising Data Use for Safer Communities 

The future of effective policing will be shaped not just by people, processes and policies but also by the intelligent use of data. However, whilst the volume of data is growing for many UK police forces, the ability to connect and act on it in real time often isn’t. 

Many forces struggle with siloed systems, data duplication, compliance challenges and outdated IT infrastructure. Collaboration between teams – or even neighbouring forces – is limited by incompatible systems. Subsequently, as public safety challenges become more complex, the lack of integration becomes an operational risk.  

The question is – how can these challenges be overcome? Microsoft Fabric directly addresses this, providing police forces with the ability to turn raw data into trusted, actionable intelligence precisely when and where it’s needed. 

In this blog, we’ll address five ways in which Microsoft Fabric is helping UK police forces modernise their operations, unlock the full value of their data for good, and deliver smarter, safer policing for the communities they serve. 

1. Save Time and Increase Focus with a Unified Data Estate 

Time is one of police forces most valuable resources. However, it is scarce and often lost to managing fragmented data environments. Different teams use different tools, key insights get buried in spreadsheets, and duplicated work is common. 

Microsoft Fabric combats this challenge by centralising data, creating a shared knowledge base. Its core foundation, OneLake, allows teams to access and work with all types of data – from crime reports to custody records – without needing to move or rebuild it. Instead of stitching systems together or creating duplicate datasets, teams can connect to live information and start using it straight away. 

Recent improvements, such as the open mirroring, make it even easier to ingest and analyse from disparate sources – including legacy systems – whilst simultaneously ensuring that data stays up to date. Teams no longer need to move data to work with it – implementing Microsoft Fabric lets them work where the data lives. 

For police forces, this results in faster onboarding of new data sources, fewer precious hours wasted on manual integration, and more capacity for meaningful, life-saving analysis. 

2. Make Faster, Data-Led Decisions with Real-Time Capabilities  

In policing, delays in data can lead to delays in justice. Whether it’s a rapidly unfolding incident or the need to assess resourcing in real time, decision-makers need live intelligence to help those who need it most. 

Fabric’s Real-Time Intelligence layer now includes full integration with Microsoft Azure Event Hubs and Logic Apps, supporting real-time streaming of everything from crime data to Internet of Things (IoT) sensor feeds. 

By utilising these tools, police forces now can: 

  • Visualise real-time incident data through Power BI dashboard which is updated by the second. 
  • Set up alerts to automatically highlight emerging trends or anomalies. 
  • Trigger workflows directly from live events, supporting crucial timely responses. 

3. Strengthen Security and Data Governance from the Ground Up 

Data in policing isn’t just valuable for the insights it reveals. Its security and integrity are equally essential to building trust and driving effective action. 

Every dataset – whether it’s related to safeguarding, offender management or operational intelligence – carries a duty of care. Public trust depends on how well the data is protected, and operational success depends on how securely it can be shared across teams and agencies. 

Microsoft Fabric builds data governance into the core of the platform. Access can be controlled at every level – right down to the individual rows or columns – allowing teams to collaborate without compromising confidentiality. Its integration with Microsoft Purview enables automatic classification, labelling, and full data lineage tracking, so forces know exactly where data comes from, how it’s used and who has access. 

Recent updates also support privacy-by-design features such a Personally Identifiable Information (PII) detection and anonymisation using PySpark, helping teams handle sensitive data in line with GDPR and ethical standards.  

A well-planned Microsoft Fabric implementation ensures these capabilities are embedded from the start, allowing forces to modernise securely and build public trust as they scale.  

4. Scale Innovation Without Increasing Complexity  

Digital transformation doesn’t happen in one move in the policing sector – it happens through pilots, incremental improvements, and service redesign. From testing dashboards to building predictive models, police forces need to ensure the technology and solution they are implement truly helps them when fighting crime. Therefore, the flexibility to experiment, adapt and scale without the added complexity is a must. 

Microsoft Fabric’s lakehouse architecture supports exactly this kind of agile, ongoing transformation. It allows teams to work with different types of data – whether using low-code interfaces or advanced data science environments – without the need to switch platforms or sift through duplicate data.  

Moreover, with version control, safe testing and automated scaling, delivery teams can move quickly and confidently from idea to implementation, without worrying about infrastructure limits or unexpected costs.  

For forces investing in digital modernisation or considering Microsoft Fabric implementation, it provides a flexible and future-ready environment – one that supports experimentation, reduces delivery risk, and enables faster rollout of new capabilities to improve UK policing even further. 

5. Democratise Insight Access Every Level of Policing   

One of the most powerful features of Fabric is how it now enables data to be accessed by everyone, not just specialists. With Microsoft Copilot now available across all capacities, users can engage with data using natural language – significantly reducing reliance on specialist skills. 

This means that officers and decision-makers can: 

  • Instantly generate visual insights by asking questions such as ‘What are the top 5 incident types in X borough, last month?’ 
  • Summarise lengthy reports, identify emerging trends or subscribe to live data update, all without writing code. 
  • Configure and refine queries using Data Agents – a new conversational AI tool in Fabric that can assist with data exploration and analysis. 

By embedding these AI-based tools everyday workflows, Microsoft Fabric implementation ensures that police forces are not only meeting current government-backed demands for AI, but also allows for more efficient data-driven decision-making. Frontline officers can access relevant insights in real time to inform responses on the ground while senior leaders gain a clearer, more immediate view of demand, risks and resource allocation across the force.  

For UK police forces, this shift not only accelerates decision-making but also improves consistency, accountability and strategic planning, ensuring every level of policing can act on timely, evidence-based information. 

Conclusion 

Ultimately, Microsoft Fabric represents a major leap forward in how policing can operate in a more connected, intelligent, and efficient way. 

By combining unified storage (OneLake), real-time data pipelines, built-in data governance, and AI-powered accessibility, Microsoft Fabric delivers a platform that’s ready for the demands of modern policing. 

In a world where trust, time and technology are increasingly interconnected, Microsoft Fabric helps UK policing move with confidence – towards smarter data, safer communities, and stronger public service driven by data for good. 

Ready to Explore What Microsoft Fabric Can Do for Your Force? 

With experience supporting over two-thirds of UK police forces, we bring unmatched sector expertise. As one of Microsoft’s first UK Fabric Featured Partners, and the proud 2024/25 Microsoft Partner of the Year for Community Response – recognised for our work with TOEX and regional forces – we’re uniquely positioned to guide your Fabric journey. 

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to get more from your current Fabric setup, we’ve got you covered: 

Got questions? Our team is here to help – reach out via the live chat to start the conversation.