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Largest UK police force connects to the NPIA Police National Database
On January 28th the Metropolitan Police became the latest force to connect to the new Police National Database (PND), which provides the police service with a powerful new tool to fight crime, counter terrorism and protect the most vulnerable in society.
The PND, the main recommendation from the Bichard Inquiry into the Soham murders, will allow forces to share locally-held information and intelligence on a national basis.
Delivery of the PND commenced on time and in budget in May 2010 when forces began to load their data onto the new system, overcoming significant technical barriers. The first forces connected to the PND in November 2010 and have been testing the system.
Over the coming months the database will be rolled out to every force in the UK and a number of other law enforcement agencies, before it goes live in spring 2011.
The PND won't involve the collection of any new data - it will simply hold existing force data but in a central pool. The system contains a number of important safeguards making it the most secure national police IT system ever.
The NPIA's IMPACT Programme, which is responsible for delivering the PND, was short-listed for a prestigious e-Government excellence 'Team' award at the ceremony held recently at London's Guildhall. The Programme won the equivalent award in 2007 for delivering the IMPACT Nominal Index, an interim police information sharing system which the PND will replace later in 2011.
Chief Constable Nick Gargan, Chief Executive of the NPIA, said: "The PND is a success story for forces and the NPIA, and something of which we should be very proud. It is a big step forward for the police service. The PND will bring forces timely information, the full intelligence picture and a real boost to investigations at an early stage."
