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Steria helps Kent Police respond Faster and more effectively
When Kent Police sought to bring its command and control infrastructure into the 21st century, it turned to Steria to deliver a state of the art system that could be relied upon in any situation...
Kent Police is one of the most progressive police forces in the UK. Protecting the interests of some 1.5 million people across an area of 1,442 square miles, the force has taken an innovative, partnership-based approach to preventative policing. The system relies on a network of specialised units operating centrally, to process information concerning any criminal activity in the region. This intelligence is then filtered through all relevant divisions within the force.
But with 3,440 officers and a further 2,063 civilian support staff, the process of collating and dispersing this information is a huge logistical challenge. Kent has risen to the task, and now has one of the most comprehensive data communication systems in the UK police set-up.
The project
With such an advanced policing network in place, Kent Police needed a command and control system with the ability to translate intelligence gained in the field and from the public into meaningful action.
What’s more, with a citizenship spread over large distances, incorporating both urban and rural areas, this system would have to be able to direct resources quickly, accurately and effectively.
In response to this need, the force turned to Steria to install a STORM (System for Tasking and Operational Resource Management) Command and Control system at the Force Communications Centre (FCC) in Maidstone. Designed to give greater clarity in incident handling situations, STORM effectively marries information consolidation and resource allocation in one user-friendly interface. The result is that operational room staff can instantly see what type of incident is unfolding, what resources are needed to deal with the situation and the best way to allocate these resources to resolve the incident.
With STORM already proving successful in many other police forces, Kent Police wanted to adopt the system, but recognised that to integrate it within its operating processes would create a number of unique challenges. First of all, the system had to integrate seamlessly with Kent’s existing data networks. Secondly, this interoperability had to extend itself to national police systems running over a national infrastructure. Furthermore, in addition to the implementation of the STORM system, there was also the issue of training operational room staff and other members of the force in how to use it effectively.
An operation with so many complex factors and potential pitfalls would have been impossible to conduct along the lines of a traditional buyer-seller relationship. It was paramount, therefore, that a good working relationship – a partnership – was created between Steria and Kent Police. This way problems could be predicted where possible, or circumnavigated and overcome where necessary – a concept that both parties bought into from the start.
Obviously, in an environment as structured as the police, there needed to be a clear outline of how the project would develop, with deadlines in place to keep everyone pointing in the right direction. But, by the same token, life in any organisation is unpredictable, and these plans would need to adapt as situations changed. For example, as the deadline for go-live approached, Kent Police realised it was going to have a problem fulfilling all the training requirements for the STORM users. Steria was able to supply an additional training resource to make up this shortfall, and ensure that go-live was able to progress as planned.
It was precisely this kind of working relationship that made the project such a success. The STORM product has proved itself to be the working solution Kent Police was looking for and the manner of its implementation has won many admirers. One of those impressed was Tim O’Connor, Programme Director at Kent Police: “Nothing was too much trouble and the Steria team was highly flexible in its approach. The project was delivered on time and within budget, which is to the great credit of all involved.”
Why Steria?
Steria has a proven track record in delivering the cutting-edge technology the public sector needs to take service provision to the next level. This has included local and national government bodies, emergency services and the police.
When Kent Police awarded the command and control contract to Steria, it could, therefore, be confident that it had chosen a services company that delivered on what it promised. Furthermore, with STORM systems already operating at many police forces, including Wiltshire, Strathclyde, Cambridgeshire, as well as the entire Swedish Police network, Kent Police could also see tangible evidence of the system’s benefits in practice.
Confidence in the technology could, therefore, be taken as read; but it was clearly vital that this assurance extended to the working relationship too. For Tim O’Connor, that was something that he gained from the outset.
“From the very beginning the attitude amongst the Steria delivery team was to deliver a highly specialised product, of which they were rightly proud, in order that Kent Police could deliver the best policing service possible.”
Benefits and features
STORM gives Kent Police the ability to manage and view all incidents, whether of a minor nature or a major disaster (a plane or rail crash, or terrorist attack, for example) with a greater degree of transparency. This means operatives can direct personnel and resources to a situation faster and more effectively.
The implementation of the STORM system included:
•A dual screen interface displaying all relevant data
•Tight integration with mapping GIS
• Interface with other adjoining forces and national systems such as National Police Computer, Automatic Number Plate Recognition and the National Firearms System (currently under development)
•The ability to view skill sets, ensuring that all situations are attended by personnel with the necessary expertise
•Training of STORM operators, to ensure the system could function operationally at go-live
•A clear migration path to mobile capability, including tablet PC and PDA operation, and silent communication functionality
The results
The STORM system implemented at Kent Police has enabled the force to continue its pioneering approach to community policing, by allowing vital information to be accessible to all relevant parties, quickly and in the most digestible format. With such knowledge at their fingertips, users can spot patterns that could otherwise be easily missed: does this address have a previous record of this kind of incident? What is the history of this particular vehicle? Has this individual come to the attention of the force before? This way, not only are situations resolved faster and by the most appropriate personnel, but also with a greater likelihood of a long-term solution.
Kent Police is keen that the implementation of STORM at the FCC is just the beginning. Plans for future developments – including access to the STORM database from tablet PCs and PDAs so that information can be accessed directly by officers in the field – are already under discussion.
Steria in policing
Policing today is increasingly IT-centric. In the field, forces need greater ability to identify suspects, respond rapidly to incidents and deploy resources as effectively as possible. Behind the scenes, information needs to be shared between forces, and increasingly – in the fight against terrorism and other international crimes – across national boundaries, securely and swiftly.
On top of all of this, police forces are also only too aware of the imperative to reduce bureaucracy, without compromising services or accessibility.
Steria is hugely experienced in working with police forces across the UK and beyond, delivering solutions that reflect the real needs of policing today.
From its STORM command and control solution to document management and workflow solutions to cutting-edge Biometrics, Steria is equipped to help police forces tackle 21st century crime.
