Tayside Police Primary Inspection 1999

6 Information Technology & Communications

1. IT and Communications Branch

1.1 The IT Department and force communications were brought together in the early part of 1999 under the command of a superintendent and re- named the IT and Communications Branch. As part of this reorganisation the responsibility was moved from Strategic Management Services to the Force Operational Support Group under the overall command of a Chief Superintendent. That said, the superintendent post is to be relinquished in the near future and the role undertaken by a civilian support staff person reporting directly to the Director of Corporate Services. (See Chapter 1 paragraph 1.4.)

1.2 The IT and Communications Branch also has responsibility for data processing (formerly the Record Office), the INTEGRITY Project Development Team, the newly established Projects Office, and the SCRO/PNC Liaison Officer. Data processing now includes the new Data Input Bureau formed to facilitate the introduction of crime recording and with a current staff of 11. (See Chapter 5 paragraph 3).

2. Strategy

2.1 The force has recently revisited the IS/IT strategy, which had been in existence since 1993. Over the years the strategy was impacted by developments at a local and national level. As a result the force has developed a mid-term plan for 'information management services' with the intention of identifying priorities over the three-year period from September 1998 to September 2001. The original strategy - An IT Strategy for the Nineties - was reflected in the Force's Corporate Plan for the period 1995 to 2000. This document is currently under review (see chapter 2 paragraph 1.2) and thus the mid-term plan for information management services acquires an importance for indicating the strategic direction of IT over the next 3 years.

2.2 This mid-term plan document does not profess to set out a strategy for information technology but rather provides a snapshot of the current situation and the philosophy behind on-going information technology projects. The previous force IT strategy is also discussed and there are suggestions of the factors which are likely to affect service delivery in the future. It is also intended that the mid-term plan will inform the Senior Management Strategy Group, facilitate strategic thinking, help prioritise demands and thus aid decision making. HMIC believes there is a lack of an IT Co-ordinating Group or Committee with a specific remit and authority to identify a strategy and drive through all projects to a successful implementation. Often such an IT Steering Group is chaired by the DCC or an ACC with functional responsibility. Users and project managers are key participants.

2.3 Tayside Police has not participated as fully as other forces in Scotland in respect of Scottish Police IS/IT Strategy (SPIS) having embarked on the INTEGRITY project before SPIS was initiated. This is not to say that the force does not support SPIS conceptually and in practice - two members of staff worked on the SPIS Firearms Project. The force will always consider the options available under SPIS and act where there is a business benefit to the force. The long-term intention is to be an integrated part of the Scottish wide strategy.

3. Project Management

3.1 The force makes use of PRINCE 2 project management methodology scaled as appropriate to the project. A recent development has seen the introduction within the IT and Communications Branch of a project office staffed by 2 officers who have attended the introduction to PRINCE 2 course at the Scottish Police College. It is envisaged that these officers will oversee a number of projects that are currently underway including the force control room project, CS spray evaluation, PSRCP (see paragraph 7.1 later), command and control application procurement and GATSO/CTO procurement (speed detection cameras). While a significant step, at the time of inspection it was too early to assess the impact and significance of the project office development for performance and outcomes.

4. Contracts

4.1 Supply and maintenance contracts are framed between a Project Board and supplier during the process of negotiation and award. The IT Manager takes a leading role in the scrutiny of maintenance contracts. Good practice dictates that the force formulates its own terms and conditions for maintenance and supply contracts and HMIC noted in recent major procurements the force has been supported by a procurement expert provided from the SPIS team at the Scottish Police College.

5. Corporate Systems

5.1 The principal strategic application that is being delivered at the moment is outsourced. INTEGRITY is a corporate database project designed to provide the force with a suite of fully integrated applications. The first part of the corporate database comprising crime reporting and criminal intelligence went live in December 1998 and at the time of inspection the force was awaiting the imminent introduction of the vehicular accidents recording system. The remaining three applications i.e. custody, case preparation, warrants and property/productions were scheduled for completion with a go live date of mid-1999.

5.2 The original intention of the force to integrate their incident logging TRAILS system with the INTEGRITY corporate database was not possible given the former is not Year 2000 compliant. Accordingly the force have sourced a new Command and Control System through Securicor Information Systems and a new ICCS (Integrated Communications Control System) will also be delivered. It was said that the new system will be up and running by October 1999 within a new Force Control Room. (See Paragraph 6 below.) This is a very tight timescale and any slippage in the delivery time; training backlogs or glitch in operational effectiveness represents a risk particularly at a time of heightened demand towards the year-end.

5.3 Tayside Police is the first Scottish force to take delivery of HOLMES 2. The HOLMES (Home Office Large Major Enquiry System) computer system was developed in the early 80's to address the then problems encountered with the investigation and administration of large police enquiries. The new system builds from the operational experience of practitioners and the substantial advances in computerisation. Although having had the option to upgrade HOLMES 1 to ensure millennium compliance, the force considered it appropriate to migrate to the new system. Unfortunately installation has not been smooth, as there has been a significant upgrade requirement to the force network which has incurred considerable extra cost. However the benefits to be secured when fully operational are likely to be significant. A number of additional functions will enhance the capability of the force to deal with certain situations, including for the first time a computerised casualty bureau to replace the current manual system. The functionality of HOLMES 2 will allow for modular based training, which will begin in May with the system scheduled to be live in July of 1999.

6 Control Rooms

6.1 A Centralised Force Control Room was first considered in 1996. At the time of inspection the Central Division Control Room which currently handles all 999 calls for the force was being relocated within Force Headquarters to allow work on the new Force Control Room to begin on the Central Control Room site. It is anticipated that centralised call handling will be carried out by staff within the new Force Control Room although satellite control rooms will still operate at Perth for Western Division and Forfar for Eastern Division. It is important that existing control room staff are involved in the changes and kept apprised of developments. This project is due for completion at the end of October 1999.

7. Public Safety Radio Communications Project (PSRCP)

7.1 The force has appointed an inspector to manage PSRCP (and other projects). The post-holder has been involved in the project since 1996 becoming full time in October 1998. Recent work has revolved around the funding implications for the force given the radio coverage and capacity required. No review of the force radio strategy will be undertaken until such time as a decision is made on the future direction of PSRCP. The force cannot act alone here and crucial decisions by the wider police service will be taken in mid 1999 when it is anticipated that sufficient information on the link between functionality and price will be available.

7.2 Current radio coverage throughout the force is generally good with the priority for VHF coverage being the main roads in the force area. 250 new personal radios have been purchased in the last 18 months and another 50 are on order. All personal radios are now fitted with remote microphones on leads. Radios are not issued on a personal basis.

8. Telephony

8.1 As with radio communications there is no written telephony strategy although it is intended that once the new structure of combining information technology with communications has bedded in a strategy will be produced. Meanwhile comment is made on telephony and radio communications within the previously mentioned mid-term plan. (See paragraph 2.2 above).

8.2 A new digital telephone switch has replaced the previous analogue system at force headquarters and the switches at Perth and Forfar have been upgraded allowing technical interconnectivity between the three main sites. These changes have allowed direct access to the Government's telephone network (GTN) with smaller sites either connected via private circuits or by indirect access. These arrangements take the force a step nearer towards a fully integrated communications infrastructure allowing substantially more control over call handling forcewide.

9. Mobile Data

9.1 To date 120 vehicles in the force are fitted with the Mobile Automatic Reporting System (MARS) mobile data system, of which 40 are located in Dundee. In the past, problems occurred because the system was neither particularly user-friendly nor integrated with the command and control system. The intention is to fully integrate it with the new command and control system to be introduced later in 1999 (see paragraph 5.2 above). During pre-inspection concerns were voiced by a number of officers regarding faults, which rendered the system less effective. MARS is a stopgap solution pending a move to a digital network such as PSRCP. In the interim HMIC suggests that the force consider a quick review to ensure that all possible benefits are being obtained at this time.

10. Training

10.1 There are 2 IT trainers within the force who are responsible to the IT Manager. They are co-located with the Force Training Department at Baluniefield in Dundee. There is no IS/IT training strategy in place and the training schedule is predominantly dictated by the roll out of the new INTEGRITY applications. The other main factor in influencing training courses has been movement of staff to areas where computer skills are required.

10.2 An IT training course prospectus was issued and circulated to divisions and departments in 1996/7. There was a huge demand. The prospectus is still an active document. HMIC noted however that there was no rigorous evaluation of the needs of applicants seeking such courses. Creating a culture of IT awareness and usage is supported but actual management of resources is important too. HMIC suggests that the Force consider locating the managment of IT trainers within the Training Department. (Also see Paragraph 13.1 below on role of an IT Steering Group).

11. Data Protection/System Security

11.1 Prior to the inspection a PNC compliance audit was carried out by HMIC (England and Wales) on behalf of HMIC (Scotland). It confirmed adequate PNC auditing within the force but highlighted some weaknesses in its systems, which require attention. In consequence of the 1997/98 PNC audit action was initiated and managed by the Deputy Chief Constable towards the end of the year. HMIC was reassured by this action indicating the importance attached to data integrity and the active involvement of senior management. The 5 staff within the Data Protection Office come under the umbrella of Performance Review headed by a chief superintendent.

11.2 The force has a clearly defined computer security policy which is issued individually to all staff and a set of guidelines exists for control room and public enquiry staff outlining how to give advice on disclosure issues. This is good practice.

11.3 The force has a planned project of audit that is comprehensive and fulfils the obligation for annual auditing of a wide range of Police National Computer (PNC) indices. There had been some slippage due primarily to the PNC compliance audit, which displaced normal activity. PNC audit reports are circulated to senior managers and PNC specialists in force and this is seen as good practice. HMIC noted there was no formal consultation with the IT Department on audit requirements for new systems.

11.4 Weeding of computer information is undertaken according to established policy parameters of the various computer applications and is undertaken with due diligence.

11.5 Each division/department within the force has a nominated liaison officer who is notified of the results of audits and who is responsible for the administration of enquiries at that level. Procedures are currently being reviewed in the light of provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998, which will place CCTV and manual records within the scope of data protection. Scoping and a training needs analysis are currently being carried out.

12. Year 2000 Issues (Y2K)

12.1 A key system (TRAILS), command and control is not Y2K compliant and is being replaced. So too is the firearms management system. There is considerable other activity on the IT front with INTEGRITY applications and Holmes 2 coming on line.

12.2 HMIC had concerns about the level of risk this hive of activity posed for the force given the demands the millennium may create. The Y2K issue is the subject of a separate thematic report by HMIC across all forces where it will be reported on in depth.

13. Recommendation

13.1 After taking account of the total picture on IS/IT matters and cognisant of the change referred to at chapter one paragraph 1.4 HMIC recommends that an IS/IT co-ordinating or steering committee be established under the chair of a member of the force executive with the remit, authority and responsibility to identify a strategy and drive it through to implementation. Typically such a group has a significant user element, manages demands for new computer support and reports to the policy-making committee.