Intelligence system goes live at Sussex

Sussex Police has implemented the first of two new systems that will control intelligence management across the entire force.

The initial enterprise module, an information management system (IMS) from criminal intelligence IT specialists ABM, is the same system being used as the national intelligence system in Scotland.

The software will enable Sussex Police – with its headquarters at Lewes employing 5,000 officers and staff covering East and West Sussex and the city of Brighton and Hove – to manage the full intelligence life cycle, identify appropriate intelligence targets as well as helping to make associations between the targets and the events in which they are involved.

The IMS intelligence module comprises overt and covert monitoring of individuals, organisations, vehicles, addresses and objects as well as the creation of a full range of intelligence reports.

Kate Wooller, programme manager at Sussex Police, said: “Our existing system was old and provided a low standard of MoPI (Management of Police Information) compliance. There was little ability to make changes and it was difficult to support, so we decided to replace it with the IMS intelligence system to help resolve these issues. The new application went live initially in Brighton and Hove, followed by Gatwick, East Sussex and most recently, West Sussex.

“The aim is to meet the new challenges police forces are facing, ensuring that intelligence data is managed more effectively, complying with regulatory directives and best practice for the benefit of officers and the public.”

During the summer, Sussex Police will deploy ABM’s crime module which fully integrates with the intelligence module to enhance the complete ‘golden nominal’ view, effectively a unique reference for use by all the systems. IMS crime helps identify repeat victims and locations and eases production of Home Office statistics, meeting recording standards with minimal administration.