The National Policing
Improvement Agency (NPIA) is spending £76.6m to
build the Police National Database, linking police services in
England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and government
agencies.
The Police
National Database will be developed as part of the Impact
Programme, which was established in response to the
Bichard Inquiry's recommendation for the creation of
intelligence sharing systems as "a national priority".
Chief Constable Peter Neyroud, chief executive of the NPIA,
said, "Currently, police forces are unable to search or access
intelligence or other information that is held on another force's
local systems. The Police National Database will enable this by
making available nationally copies of locally held information on
suspects and criminals." He said the system will improve the
ability of the police service to share operational information and
help the police to stay one step ahead of the criminal
population.
The first phase, which is due to go live in 2010, will focus on
safeguarding children and vulnerable adults, countering terrorism
and assisting major crime investigations. This will involve linking
data from five operational areas of policing - custody, crime,
intelligence, child abuse and domestic abuse - into one central
system. It will provide forces with immediate access to up-to-date
information from across the service, overcoming artificial
geographical and jurisdictional boundaries. Ultimately the Police
National Database will assist forces to improve their operational
effectiveness.
Logica will be the prime contractor, working alongside Northgate
Information Solutions and SunGard Public Sector. Cable &
Wireless will hosting and communications services.