Investigators using the UK police forces' computer system for
processing the large volumes of data related to major
investigations can now easily find and share information across
investigations.
The Home
Office Large Major Enquiry System 2 (Holmes2), which has been
used for 10 years, has been upgraded by Unisys, which has
supported the system throughout its life. It is managed by the UK
National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA).
The system has been upgraded to share information across forces
and investigations. Information will be tagged to make it easier
for investigators to find information stored in multiple
databases.
Forbes Gallagher, account director for the Home Office at
Unysis, said before the enhancements searches were more manual,
with users having to search specific databases for information. "It
was not possible to search different databases in single searches,"
he added.
Testing of the new system showed a 40% improvement in response
times when users search across different investigations.
"Our officers rely on Holmes2 to collate and analyse information
quickly and effectively, and the new cross-force capabilities will
allow us all to take a more joined-up approach to policing, which
can only be a positive step towards tackling crime," said Jon
Stoddart, chief constable Durham Constabulary.
"Developing a secure, reliable system, which our police officers
trust and can use on a day-to-day basis, has been a major
achievement."
There are 4,300 Holmes2 users across UK police forces. It links
to about 9,500 desktop systems.
