Met Police to Replace Core IT System

By Matthew Broersma

The Metropolitan Police has confirmed it plans to commence procurement of an integrated system to replace its core IT facilities later this year.

The plan arrives as the Met is engaging in an effort to reduce the complexity and redundancy of its IT systems, while also trying out new technologies, such as tablets and body cameras.

The Met said it commissioned a sourcing strategy review of its core policing IT systems last August, which involved an examination of systems either in place or set to go into operation in the near future with other police forces. In January the Metropolitan Police Service Investment and Resources Board gave the green light to begin procurement of an integrated solution.

“The procurement route will be a Competitive Procedure with Negotiation and will commence in the autumn of 2015,” the Met said in a statement. “The anticipated go live for a system is spring 2017.”

The system would incorporate case, custody, crime and intelligence applications, according to the Met. Among the systems reportedly under consideration are Athena, developed by Northgate Public Services (NPS) at a cost of £32m, which recently went live in Essex and is set to roll out with six other forces this year and early next year.

Other possibilities are a Canadian system called Niche, currently being used by 20 forces in the United Kingdom, and Accenture, which is delivering systems for the West Midlands Police and Police Scotland.

Technology Shift

The Met is currently carrying out a trial of 850 iPads, with deployment of 30,000 devices planned in two years’ time.

The force has said it is also in the process of consolidating its 520 technology systems, 70 percent of which are redundant, according to an assessment by the London Assembly two years ago.

The Met is reducing its data centers from six to two and reducing its IT staff, and is in the process of shifting its legacy systems to a new location as it moves out of Scotland Yard.