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NPIA ‘has saved the police service more than £1 million’
The NPIA has saved the police service more than £1 million by negotiating a reduced cost for the renewal of the agency’s communications framework with Cable Worldwide, with the scope for further significant savings to be made. This will ensure that the police service can continue using the secure national communications network, PNN3.
PNN3 is a service that enables the secure transmission of data between all police forces in the UK, criminal justice and police-related agencies. Since 2006, it has provided a common communications platform and ensures that all forces and agencies are working to the same robust levels of security so that police data is not compromised.
Services which are provided to forces via PNN3 include:
· Police National Computer (PNC):a national information system which holds details of people, vehicles, crimes and property that can be electronically accessed by the police and other criminal justice agencies.
· The National DNA Database (NDNAD):a national database which holds DNA samples of people arrested for a recordable offence.
· ViSOR:a UK-wide system used to store and share information and intelligence on those individuals who have been identified as posing a risk of serious harm to the public.
· Mobile Information:a mobile data solution for UK police forces, providing interfaces with national and local systems via a handheld device, such as a BlackBerry or PDA, allowing officers to send, receive, access and update vital information while out on patrol.
· Police National Database (PND): a national system which allows all UK police forces to collaborate more efficiently, sharing and directly accessing local information on a national basis for the detection and prevention of crime.
· IDENT1:the National Fingerprint Database, providing the Police service in England, Scotland and Wales with the ability to perform a search on a fingerprint identification system, and the capability to search palm prints and marks.
In addition to ensuring forces are able to continue using these vital services in a secure environment, the NPIA has also worked with Cable&Wireless to make the service more user friendly and efficient to ensure it continues to meet the communications needs of police forces across the country.
Central management by the NPIA has also removed the need for individual procurement processes by forces.
Sue Moffatt, NPIA head of Commercial and Procurement said: “Communication is the lifeblood of the police service. It is essential that the police service can communicate seamlessly and consistently across the criminal justice system. PNN3 provides a safe and secure network for police officers to store, send, access and record information some of which could provide crucial evidence in an investigation.
“This agreement is also another good example of how the NPIA continues to provide more for less to the police service to help ensure frontline officers are supported.”
Brian Woodford, Managing Director of Public Sector and Partners, Cable&Wireless Worldwide, says: “With our extensive, highly resilient and secure network, we’re a trusted partner for UK Government. We’ve delivered the Police National Network service for over 15 years, which is testament to the fact we work closely with our customers to fulfil regional, local and national requirements. Our wealth of experience in this sector ensures we can facilitate greater communication between forces and secure access to centralised data. The framework makes interoperability easier whilst driving cost efficiencies, and we’re delighted to take the framework to its full term.”
