IT system shambles ‘threatens safety’ of Police Scotland staff
Police Scotland has been accused of giving up on creating a computer system that links the whole country.
The saga has become an embarrassment for the force and the Scottish Police Authority (SPA). Insiders said yesterday that the collapse of the ‘i6’ supercomputer last year had left officers struggling.
The claims come after chief constable Phil Gormley announced that he was stepping aside for a period of ‘special leave’ as he faces three claims of bullying behaviour.
Officers at every level have told the Scottish Daily Mail that they are unhappy with problems that shut them out of IT systems when they are working outside their own area. One senior officer said: ‘We’ve always been promised an integrated network.
‘We are a single force only in name. We’re split into East, West and North and if you work in the East but need to be in either West or North, you can’t log in to their system or your own.
‘It’s especially bad in East and North. The systems once used by Grampian and Northern don’t talk to one another. So a Northern officer based at Aberdeen who is in Inverness for the day is not recognised.’
Stressing the importance of speed, the officer added: ‘I might need information on a suspect when I’m travelling. I should be able to get it wherever I am.’
Graeme Pearson, an expolice officer who was head of the Scottish Drugs Enforcement Agency and former Labour justice spokesman, condemned the failures of the force and the Scottish Government to give officers what they needed.
He said: ‘Policing in the 21st century should be supported by the very best technology available. When officers are
‘Should be telling them’
responding to a call and travelling to an address, their IT back-up should be telling them whether that address has any relevant history.’
The plug was pulled on the i6 project – which had been due to cost £46.11million – last year after early problems could not be resolved.
Asked what assistance it was giving Police Scotland to create a ‘joined-up’ IT system, the Scottish Government said it was a matter for Police Scotland, with oversight by the SPA.
Police Scotland director of IT Martin Leven said: ‘Our plans for replacing our legacy systems for crime, missing persons, case management and productions are at an advanced stage.’