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Home Office brands police IT 'not fit for purpose'
The Home Office has described IT systems used by the police service as “not fit for purpose” in a report released this week.
The report entitled ‘New Landscape of Policing’ outlines the problems caused by the inconsistency of ICT systems across the police force, which ACPO President Sir Hugh Orde has called “a bit of a mess”.
The main problem identified is that so many different systems are used. According to Mick Creedon, the Chief Constable of Derbyshire, 43 forces have developed 43 different sets of IT solutions and many of these systems are completely incompatible with one another. The Home Secretary states in the report: “Officers have told me about IT systems that require multiple keying of the very same information, are incompatible with systems doing the same basic job in neighbouring forces, or are even incompatible with other systems in their own force”.
The Home Office are keen to point out that there has been some progress made by the National Policing Improvement Agency, including the deployment of The Police National Computer. This system allows information about crimes, vehicles, people and property to be shared between different police forces. However, the NPIA will soon be phased out providing ‘additional urgency’ to finding a new approach to IT management.
The body that will replace the NPIA will be responsible for collating the various systems and contracts used across the 43 police forces. They will have control over the Information Systems Improvement Strategy (ISIS) and will be required to work closely with those involved in IT procurement to create a new plan of action.
Click here to view the full report.
