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19/01/06 Government urged to accelerate progress on police IT Industry concerned with lack of progress 18 months after Bichard’s report recommendations
Intellect, the trade association for the UK hi-tech industry, has voiced its concerns at the lack of progress made by the Home Office on the IMPACT (Information Management, Prioritisation, Analysis, Co-ordination and Tasking) programme, a national information sharing system for police intelligence purposes, initiated by the Home Office following a recommendation made in the Bichard Inquiry Report.
IMPACT was created to reduce the risk of failure to share vital information. The first project was set to begin by 2005, starting with a central system for Child Abuse Investigation Units. By 2009, the Home Office is expecting that, through this new capacity for sharing, it will progressively extend as systems develop. The hi-tech industry has had little information since the initial recommendation and is concerned not enough is being done for public safety.
Commenting, Francis Toye, Chair of Intellect’s Criminal Justice Group, said:
“The progress on the interim solution has been gradually watered down, so we are not sure if any progress has been made at all by the December 2005 deadline. The uncertainty caused by the approach being adopted is already leading to delay in the implementation of local intelligence systems within the Police force.”
Commenting, Nick Kalisperas, Director at Intellect, said:
“It is increasingly worrying that 18 months on from the recommendation, little has been done. Despite there being many local suppliers of intelligence software in the UK, who have implemented systems in other countries, they have not been contracted to supply intelligence systems by the Home Office. It is crucial that this is prioritised and that Government and industry engage closely in order for the citizens to gain maximum benefits from this programme.”
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