Following the publication this morning of the Police Federation’s research into ‘chaotic’ police IT, Peter Wilson from Coeus Software has issued the following response.
Coeus Software have spent a lot of time understanding the challenges of digital transformation within the Police Service, and they agree with the Police Federation’s findings. However, Peter points out that while simplifying police IT appears to be a priority for the Home Office, it will take time, so forces need a solution that work today.
The Police Federation’s findings reflect the conversations we have with Police forces every single day. We have spent a lot of time and investment in understanding the challenges of digital transformation within the Police Service. Officers have told the Federation that they are exasperated by the sheer quantity of different databases and systems they need just to complete the simplest of tasks, such as searching intelligence and criminal records and then having to assimilate the information quickly, all with different login details. We agree that an overall strategic vision is needed to deliver the services that Police officers want, but with some Forces operating independently of each other, this will need to be pushed through at national level. Simplifying police IT appears to be a priority for the Home Office right now, but will take time and so forces need a solution that works today.
We built PoliceBox specifically to combat the disjointed IT challenge that the Police Federation has highlighted in their research. It allows Officers to get paperwork done, digitally, while in or out of the office, without the need to wait for a PC/Workstation. Most importantly for officers, it provides a means by which disparate systems can be researched on a federated basis, providing the potential for an officer to see all of the known facts about a person, object, location or event and therefore make an informed decision. By giving officers all the tools they need to capture, report and gather intelligence data from a single portal on their smartphone, they have a reason to use their smartphone.
It is also worth pointing out that this issue is not unique to the Police. Many other sectors, in particular those in compliance-based and regulated industries, also face the same problem. Those in healthcare, transport and housing are also battling with data spread across multiple systems, and the need to coordinate and share this data with third parties in real-time. While modernisation continues to filter from the top, mobile platforms like PoliceBox and Quvo can help these organisations to digitise their operations now, quickly, and at significantly lower risk than expensive transformation projects.