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Britain’s Digital Elite Working for a Safer Hertfordshire
Britain’s newest crime-fighting web service, OWL, has been honoured as the winner of “Britain’s Digital Elite” in the Information Exchange category. It was judged by Microsoft and Real Business magazine as the most innovative use of software. OWL is a unique Internet based application developed by Direct Path Solutions in partnership with Hertfordshire Constabulary and deployed across Hertfordshire for the police and public to administrate their Neighbourhood Watch schemes online and other schemes such as School, Shop and Pub Watch. OWL greatly enhances communications via phone, text messaging, fax and email along with a complete, practical, management system addressing multiple requirements across police and voluntary roles.
OWL provides the police with an easy and effective way to communicate with the public on local and force-wide issues, be it an alert on distraction burglary or an important message after a terrorist or civil emergency. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabularies said in a recent report that OWL “is highly regarded by those SN [Safer Neighbourhood] teams that currently have access to it."
150 police staff and officers already have access to OWL in Hertfordshire and 1000’s of watch members can also log in to send messages, administrate watches, keep contact details up to date, and log observations in their incident e-diary. The latter provides the police with a new source of fully searchable community intelligence. Access to the public is strictly limited to their location and role. OWL is CESG certified and MoPI compliant.
OWL has an impressive track record with reliability levels of 100% uptime during office hours and 99.98% around the clock, 7 days a week.
Chief Constable of Hertfordshire, Frank Whitely, said “We supported the development of OWL because there is no similar product available on the market. It’s an innovative system providing more than just a communications tool and has engaged with NHW by understanding and responding to the needs of the many volunteers running watches throughout the county.”
OWL has attracted interest from several forces across the UK looking to enhance community intelligence, communications, and support for Neighbourhood Policing.
