Mergers put focus on police IT

But plans to restructure forces must not delay any national schemes

Government plans to merge local police forces into fewer regional bodies could help towards the much-needed development of national IT systems, according to senior police representatives.

But the plans, announced by Home Secretary Charles Clarke last week, also expose significant potential pitfalls.

Despite widespread agreement on the need for national technology, central schemes have often proved difficult to achieve.

The firearms certificate register endorsed by the Prime Minister after the Dunblane school massacre a decade ago is still to be completed. And the Impact information-sharing programme, described as a ‘national priority’ in 2004 by the Bichard Inquiry into the Soham murders, will not be delivered until 2010.

Clarke’s strategy for restructuring the 43 police forces in England and Wales is not finalised, but could result in fewer than 20 much larger bodies.

Fewer forces should mean an easier path for national systems, says president of the Superintendents’ Association Rick Naylor.

‘With fewer people round the table, the chances are that decisions will be made and stuck to,’ he said.

But the longer restructuring takes, the more investment decisions are delayed, says Naylor.

‘We need quick, firm decisions, because there are a lot of legacy systems that need replacing with national solutions,’ he said.

But merging force systems also presents potential difficulties.

Police Federation vice chairman Alan Gordon said: ‘Amalgamation will inevitably bring together differing systems, which is likely to cause problems.’

And organisational change could distract attention from national IT schemes, says Mike Davis, senior research analyst at Butler Group.

‘Reorganisation makes it difficult to get on with things, because you are too busy reacting to do anything strategic,’ he said.

‘It is sad that the Impact programme has lost momentum, but with bodies such as the Police IT Organisation managed by multiple stakeholders, decision-making is difficult, and timescales always get extended.’