Police launch new computer system

A NEW £6 million computer system that puts Hampshire Constabulary at the forefront of crime fighting has gone live. The new computer system – the most advanced of its type in the world – was switched on earlier this month, marking the culmination of a three-year project to revolutionise the way that crime and incidents are dealt with across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The changes made in implementing the system means that more than 70,000 hours that police officers previously had to spend in the station completing paperwork every year will now be freed up for more time on the beat and conducting routine patrols. Project Oberon – the name of the programme for the introduction of the system - is the most significant business change project ever undertaken by Hampshire Constabulary. The Records Management System (RMS) - supplied by Canada-based company Niche Technology Inc - will provide total management of incidents and crimes, from initial reports through to crime management and investigation, the force says. The capabilities of the RMS will reap enormous benefits, especially for operational staff in risk situations, according to officers. Hampshire Constabulary will be able to record and search within a single system for information against any name, address, vehicle, event or object known to police - an ability that the many systems currently used within the force cannot do. It will also gather intelligence on firearms and the previous history of locations and people. The constabulary claims the system will be an effective tool for monitoring anti-social behaviour and mapping crime hotspot areas more effectively. Although costing about £6m over the next five years, it is anticipated that savings from a more effective and efficient service could be between £20m and £27m over the same period. Chief Constable Paul Kernaghan said: “Project Oberon is not only a major technological advance but also fulfils a commitment to the personnel of Hampshire Constabulary. RMS is designed to be user-friendly, and particular attention was paid to the training dimension. “We now have a system which complements the skills of our personnel and provides them and the wider community with information we can exploit rapidly. I recognise the hard work required to get us to where we are today and would pay tribute to everyone who has contributed to Project Oberon, they led the way.” Chief Superintendent John James, who managed Project Oberon for the constabulary, said: “We are implementing world class software to support our operational policing needs. We believe that the outcome will mean a significantly improved service to the public and the potential to free up staff time to focus on our core business – providing a service to the public, partner agencies and each other.” Tom Ellison, Vice President of Niche Technology Inc, said: “The Niche RMS is state- of-the-art police technology being adopted by police forces internationally because it allows frontline police officers access to all operational information at their fingertips. “This will ensure that Hampshire Constabulary will be able to provide the pest possible policing performance.” The chairman of Hampshire Police Authority, Simon Hayes, said: “We know that the current systems are not as effective as they should be in meeting modern day requirements. Although the project represents a significant investment, I trust that the RMS will save many hours of officer and staff time, which can then be transferred to patrols on our streets, providing a real benefit to communities.”

Copyright Tindle Newspapers Ltd 11 April 05

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