Force puts surveillance management into operation

Strathclyde installs covert operations management system

Strathclyde Police has installed a covert operations management system to handle undercover operations and standardise processes to ensure best practice.

Scotland’s largest police force has implemented ABM’s electronic system to meet regulatory requirements and for speedy authorisation and approval of covert operation requests.

The system, which took seven months to implement and has just gone live, will be used across all offices by employees involved in surveillance, providing a force-wide overview.

Detective inspector William Wilson, who managed the project, says the former paper-based system had limitations.

‘The system was administered locally at divisional level, creating problems in obtaining central oversight and management,’ he said.

‘We wanted to address regulatory compliance following the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Scotland) Act, which outline codes of practice for surveillance activity for national security and Scottish security. We also wanted to improve force performance in how we manage covert operations.’

The force and ABM, which already supplies Strathclyde’s informant management system, are also looking at a telecoms authorities application to provide complete management of requests for communications data.

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