Met police reveals IT strategy

The DoI's information strategy is focused on value for money

The Directorate of Information (DoI), part of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has published its strategic plan for 2010-11.

The document reveals six strategic themes, half of which aim to deliver ICT support and improvements to the wider MPS. The three IT-focused themes are improving policing information, developing the MPS enterprise architecture and delivering programmes and services.

In terms of improving policing information, the aim is to deliver secure and reliable information faster in order to "bring more offenders to justice, reduce risk to officers, and save the organisation both time and money."

One of the projects aiming to achieve these goals is e.Met-search, which the document describes as the first step towards a single point of access to policing information.

Developing the MPS enterprise architecture involves ensuring that the MPS' infrastructure is robust and flexible, and represents good value for money. This year the DoI hopes to deliver an ICT road map of key police information systems, a review of MPS Geographic Information Systems strategy, and to refresh and implement the technology strategy.

Numerous projects are slated for implementation this year, aiming to ensure that the MPS has fast access to reliable information. These projects are: implementation of a new internet content management system, rollout of 3,000 PDAs, rollout of Mobile Data Terminals replacement, rollout of virtual courts, delivery of the Police National Database, development of weapons and explosives detection technologies, delivery of the Olympics ICT requirements, service improvement projects such as the implementation of thin client and virtualisation technologies and shared IT platforms and services.

Alice Beaton, director of information at the DoI, said: "We can no longer afford to respond to every business demand. Instead we must have robust IT plans that directly meet corporate objectives for both today's and tomorrow's policing needs within an ever constraining budget."