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Home Office

Answer

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police forces have case custody computer systems; and what steps are being taken to increase this number. [191288] Caroline Flint: Custody and case preparation systems are designed to reduce bureaucracy and improve efficiency in police forces in the processing and handling of arrests. The case preparation system provides other criminal justice organisations with accurate, timely, data that meets the needs of victims, witnesses and other criminal justice organisations. Once implemented the system has the ability to deliver business benefit to both the police service and other criminal justice organisations. Currently nine police forces are using the National Strategy for Police Information Systems (NSPIS) developed custody application and 11 are using the case preparation application. A number of other forces are using in-house legacy or off-the-shelf systems for one or both these functions. The Police Information Technology Organisation plans to have at least 20 forces working operationally with NSPIS custody and a further 20 with NSPIS case preparation this financial year. Other forces should have custody and case applications in place by 31 March 2006. Forces are being encouraged to take these applications by a number of means and we are working closely with the Association of Chief Police Officers to ensure that the police service has systems that will join up with the rest of the criminal justice system.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

426 c1435W;426 c1439W; 191288

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Criminal investigation Software ICT Police

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk