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Jonathan Knott

Former British ambassador to Hungary, Budapest

Part of UK in Hungary

7th April 2014 Budapest, Hungary

Gadgets, Drones, Opportunities

Guest blog by Dr. Péter Stauber, Hungarian Ministry of Interior’s Head of EU Cooperation Department, on his visit to the Security and Policing Conference in Farnborough, at the end of March 2014.
 

It was an idea from the British Embassy, which generated support among the leadership of my organization, namely the Ministry of Interior of Hungary. By a letter of H. E. Ambassador Knott in January, the opportunity was offered to a Hungarian official to visit the Security and Policing 2014 exhibition and fair, organized by the Home Office.

I had the honour to receive this assignment: I have been working in the Hungarian public service for nearly 13 years and having always been working with EU and international relations, I am quite used to travelling to various European cities for professional reasons. Nevertheless, this visit proved to be of something particular (and not only because of the very constructive talks I had with my fellow colleagues at the Home Office and at the FCO on current developments in the EU justice and home affairs area).

Mr. Péter Stauber at the Security and Policing Conference in Farnborough
Mr. Péter Stauber at the Security and Policing Conference in Farnborough

The venue was Farnborough Airport, a place that touched upon some old memories in my mind. When I was a teenage boy, I was quite a big fan of military aviation magazines – yes, I have dreamt of becoming a pilot myself. Well, obviously that dream hasn’t come true. But some 25 years later, I made it to the venue of the famous Farnborough Air Tattoo.

At the exhibition, I was really stunned by the diversity of products offered. From guns and rifles to shields and helmets, from smart cameras to IT solutions, one could watch, touch and try gadgets that are mostly, if at all familiar from movie screens to someone who is not a practicing cop. The hottest product seemed to be the drone (or, more officially, unmanned aerial vehicle), the potential of which is just being explored in law enforcement work.

Actually, most criminals should be encouraged to visit such events – they would probably change their minds and start looking for a decent job (maybe they could even start some business by making use of their previous experiences, just as Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie Catch Me If You Can. This exhibition has also demonstrated that even security and policing could be a lucrative business scene).  If all the police force in the world had all the technology available at their disposal, hardly any crime could remain untraced.

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The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the British government.

About Jonathan Knott

Jonathan Knott was appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Hungary in March 2011 and arrived in Budapest in February 2012 to take up his post. He left this post on April…

Jonathan Knott was appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to
Hungary in March 2011 and arrived in Budapest in February 2012 to take
up his post. He left this post on April 2015.
He has previously held a variety of diplomatic posts at home and
abroad, several with a particular focus on commercial and corporate
finance issues. Jonathan has served in a number of positions in the
British Diplomatic Service since joining in 1988:
Before his appointment was Deputy Head of Mission and Director for Trade and Investment in South Korea from 2008 to 2011.Between 2005 and 2008 he held the post of Deputy Finance Director in the FCO.From 2000 to 2005 he served as First Secretary (Trade, Corporate Affairs and Finance Negotiator) in UKDel OECD Paris.From 1996 to 2000 he was First Secretary (Head of Political/Economic/Aid Section) in Mexico.From 1995 to 1996 he worked in the FCO as Deputy European Correspondent at the EU Directorate.Between 1991 and 1995 he served as Third later Second Secretary (Political / Press and Public Affairs) in Havana.From 1990 to 1991 he was Desk Officer in the FCO’s First Gulf War Emergency Unit.Between 1988 and 1990 he worked as Desk Officer in the FCO in the Anti Drugs Cooperation Department.
Jonathan holds an MA in law from Oxford University, and he is a
member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. He speaks
English, French, Spanish and Hungarian. He is married to Angela Susan
Knott and has one daughter and two sons.

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