New funding for Custody and Case Preparation software

The Treasury has announced that it will be releasing funding for the new Custody and Case Preparation software. Created by PITO, the £40m scheme was on hold after the Home Office expressed concerns that the scheme would not have a long-term future.

PITO submitted a new business case that emphasised the systems efficiency and the cost savings it would bring to the forces who implement it.

Peter Neyroud, Chief Executive of the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA), into which PITO is being absorbed told VNUNet: “I am pleased to be able to clear the uncertainty and push on to complete the roll out. This programme has the potential to remove a lot of unnecessary bureaucracy for operational staff in order to improve performance. This is a challenging programme based on the fact that it requires major change in police business processes and the need to align these processes with other agencies.”

Efficiency savings accrued during 2005/6 by forces using the Custody and Case Preparation are estimated at £3.3m. The programme lies at the cornerstone of the governmental drive to join-up the Criminal Justice System; once implemented these separate but linked IT systems will allow the police and criminal justice organisations to input and share the same information from custody suite through to court room.

The rollout to the 27 police forces that are committed to the programme is targeted for completion by March 31, 2007 (excluding the Metropolitan Police Service where rollout will be complete by the end of 2007).

Derek Cake, ACPO Programme Director for NSPIS Custody and Case Preparation, said: “We are now in a strong position to complete the planned deployment to police forces so that the efficiency gains these applications offer can be realised. We recognise that meeting the deadlines set will be challenging but we will be working closely with forces to rollout to agreed timescales.”