Police making slow progress on IT

Systems will not be integrated across forces until 2015, says report

Rollout of handheld devices to police is too slow

Efforts to introduce technology into police forces are taking longer than expected, and full compatibility of systems across constabularies will not be achieved until 2015 at the earliest, according to a report by a task force set up to cut red tape in the police.

The interim report by Jan Berry, former head of the Police Federation, found that progress in implementing the technology recommendations of Ronnie Flannigan's review of policing and the 2008 policing green paper was patchy.

"One of the most necessary and significant challenges facing the police service is
the provision of compatible and integrated information technology," said Berry.

"In the current climate, I do not believe it is feasible to achieve this in the short term. Government and the police service need to set a challenging but achievable timetable with clear standards and milestones leading to full compatibility and integration by 2015."

Progress is particularly slow in what is known as the Information Systems Improvement Strategy programme – a scheme to develop a co-ordinated single IT system across all 43 police forces.

The programme will eventually allow the provision of better information to handheld computers – 30,000 of which will be given to officers by March 2010 – make better use of resources through improved collaboration and procurement, and allow forces to share information more easily.

The report found that "the provision of this system has taken too long to deliver" and that "it is appropriate for the home secretary to mandate forces in this aspect."

The study also shows that although all forces are now equipped with Airwave digital radios, some do not have the GPS function that would allow their position to be automatically recorded when they perform a stop and account – this should be remedied as soon as possible, according to the report.

And it recommends that the facility to digitally record interviews should be rolled out to all forces after a successful trial in Lancashire.

The review goes on to highlight the rollout of 10,000 mobile data devices to frontline officers as providing benefits, but says that "the range of applications available varies widely and there are few examples of integration" .

And in a warning shot across the bows of home secretary Jacqui Smith, Berry's report says: "It is wrong to suggest to the public that the provision of these devices will resolve bureaucracy."

A separate review released yesterday by Sir David Normington on the "data collection burden" borne by local forces endorsed a new Home Office "Data Hub" due to go live in 2009, which would collect crime information centrally and help police forces to reduce the amount of information they collect by 50 per cent.