Getting 'IT' Right
A Thematic Inspection

6. Other National Systems

6.1 The Scottish police service relies on a number of UK services provided by the Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO) - notably the Police National Computer, the Police National Network and the Home Office Large Major Enquiry System (HOLMES). PITO is also developing the Public Service Radio Communications Project (PSRCP) which aims to provide a new generation of police radio telecommunications. In addition, SCRO provides a number of services to all Scottish forces - notably the Criminal History System and the Automatic Fingerprint Recognition System - as well as being the major point of contact with the Police National Computer and acting as the medium by which records relating to Scottish criminal convictions are dispatched to the Police National Computer and in future to the National Automatic Fingerprint Identification Service (NAFIS).

Scottish Criminal Record Office

6.2 The SCRO provides a crucial central service for Scottish forces. It has been at the forefront of national developments in its field and is highly regarded. HM Inspector found that it faces a number of current pressures:-

• expected expansion of the employee vetting service which it provides to various organisations working in sensitive areas, principally with children. This role is likely to expand enormously under the provisions of Part V of the Police Act 1997;
• SCRO is playing an increasing role in providing information to criminal justice organisations other than the police;
• the Lothian and Borders Police mainframe computer, which acts as a stand-by to support SCRO’s criminal history system if the SCRO computer fails, is being decommissioned;
• the relationship between SCRO and SPIS needs to be worked through.

6.3 There will be a continued requirement for proper information exchange between forces and SCRO and there is a need to move away from the limitations imposed by the terminal emulation software currently used. It would also be beneficial for SCRO to move to an SPIS environment which will allow forces to save effort in maintaining and updating data. Evidence from the first SPIS product (Firearms) shows that real savings can be achieved by a totally integrated approach.

6.4 These issues raise serious questions about the future computer architecture of SCRO and about networking capacity when SPIS products begin to roll out. The police service needs to retain control of its information systems which relate to knowledge about the business of policing. The technology infrastructure which supports the information systems however could be outsourced or dealt with in a much more flexible way. There is no technical reason, for example, for SCRO to remain in its current form. Indeed there is a great deal to be said, in value for money terms, for distributing the processing power to a number of centres, thus providing a high level of business continuity. Such a move would of course require to replicate the current links to the PNC. SPIS could provide a means by which forces could share these same technology platforms reducing purchase and maintenance costs significantly. It would also be possible to provide a central resource, say at the SPC, which could provide a HOLMES system for some forces and for training. This approach could provide business continuity for all HOLMES users, and for SCRO, as well as providing capacity for vetting enquiries.

6.5 This flexibility provides significant opportunities for the service and it is therefore vital that a full strategic review be carried out urgently with a view to integrating SCRO and SPIS and reacting in a planned way to the other changes affecting SCRO.

6.6 HM Inspector believes that it is also important to integrate the oversight of SPIS and SCRO. SCRO is overseen by the SCRO Controlling Committee (comprising all Scottish Chief Constables and the Scottish Office), to which report the Fingerprint Standing Committee and the Development Standing Committee. Both of these Committees have done excellent work over the years and have guided SCRO in the provision of a service to the Scottish forces which is second to none. But it is important that the oversight of these vital services is incorporated into the national strategy.

Integration of Scottish Criminal Justice Information Systems

6.7 The Integration of Scottish Criminal Justice Information Systems project (ISCJIS) aims to integrate the IT systems of Scottish criminal justice organisations, to improve efficiency and effectiveness by allowing the transfer of specific data from system to system. Scottish police forces, and particularly SCRO, play a key part in the project.

6.8 It is important that the service undertakes a study to determine the minimum common standards which need to be defined to facilitate the inter-change of information between the police and other external agencies with whom they are involved. At present invaluable work is being carried out through the ISCJIS Project Board (on which ACPOS and SCRO are represented) but there is a need for the SPIS development team to be more closely involved in this process.

6.9 The ISCJIS project will undoubtedly have many beneficial effects but the service needs to work with the other agencies involved in identifying the future means for control and direction of the project and any shared resources associated with it.

Police National Network

6.10 The Police National Network is a framework contract, arranged by the PITO, for the transmission of voice and data among UK police forces and allied organisations including Scottish criminal justice organisations. It has been successfully implemented in Scotland for some time and is also the selected network system for ISCJIS. The original contract is nearing its end and the procurement exercise for its successor (PNN 2) is in progress. Assuming that the procurement exercise reaches a successful conclusion, it is vital that it be implemented by all forces and all of the other partners in the criminal justice arena if the maximum benefit is to be gained.

Public Service Radio Communications Project (PSRCP)

6.11 This project is led by PITO and is designed to provide digital trunked radio services to the UK police forces and other sharer organisations. The project definition studies have thrown up some concerns for Scottish forces in terms of coverage and affordability but there seems little doubt that over the next few years forces will move to a digitally based radio system. While considerable research is being conducted nationally into the proposed technical solution, and forces are dealing with their individual requirements under PSRCP, there is little evidence that the strategic aspects of a new radio network, with much better facilities, were being considered in light of other networking issues. This needs to be taken on alongside the SPIS network review recommended above.

6.12 This study should also lead to a statement of business requirements in relation to mobile data and to consider, in particular, the implications of mobile data demand and its likely impact on SPIS developments and the network.

Conclusion

6.13 The Scottish police service has benefited a great deal from national systems in the past. Collaboration between eight forces remains important. The advent of SPIS, the increased sharing of information with other criminal justice organisations and the obsolescence of the current generation of radios around 2005 all point to that reality. The Scottish police service must be alert to the need for well considered change if maximum benefits are to be achieved. The national business strategy (Recommendation 12) must guide that change.

Appendices

Appendix ‘A’ Evaluation Criteria

Appendix ‘B’ Summary of Evaluation Marking

Appendix ‘C’ Summary of Recommendations

Appendix ‘D’ Summary of Observations Good Practice Points