UK Police Force 100% Committed to HOLMES 2
29 April 2003 – All 53 police forces across the UK have now signed up to HOLMES 2, the crime management system developed by Unisys and PITO which enables the police to manage enquiries and the process of investigating major incidents more efficiently. This means all the police forces are now better equipped to evaluate and understand the large amount of information they receive during a serious crime enquiry or major incident.
In addition to every police force, six other policing organisations are now using the HOLMES 2 system. It provides the ability to link incidents across police forces, enabling two or more forces to share information on investigations that may span their boundaries. By breaking down these barriers to information sharing, HOLMES 2 has the potential to help forces solve crimes more quickly and efficiently and manage major incidents in a more co-ordinated way.
Coupled with improved nationwide access to evidence, such as DNA data from the Forensic Science Service, HOLMES 2 improves each force’s ability to establish links between cases in different geographical areas of the country.
PITO's HOLMES 2 Liaison Officer Detective Chief Inspector John Mooney said, “The entire UK police service can benefit from what HOLMES 2 has to offer. Although there is no complete substitute for detective work, this system is a key strategic application that helps police forces streamline the way their investigations are run. It is an excellent example of the police embracing the latest technology and getting real operational benefits in return.”
The HOLMES 2 enhancement programme ensures that the police are able to derive further business benefits from the application. There are plans to enhance the system's functionality by taking advantage of the latest technology advancements. Upgrades will take place twice a year under the enhancement programme. In addition, Unisys works closely with the individual forces to identify how HOLMES 2 can be developed further to better suit their needs.
“A number of exciting developments are being made to HOLMES 2," said Louise Till, Holmes 2 Programme Manager, Unisys. “This is to enhance the use of the application within Major Inquiries and Major Disasters and to enable the application to be used on other policing work within the UK. We are already aware that HOLMES 2 is being used on different types of investigations, such as fraud cases, property management and information collection. New developments include mobile HOLMES 2 and CasWeb, a web-enabled front-end to Casualty Bureau. Additionally, international interest has also been shown and we are looking at making the solution available globally.” About Unisys Unisys is a worldwide information technology services and solutions company. Our people combine expertise in systems integration, outsourcing, infrastructure, server technology and consulting with precision thinking and relentless execution to help clients, in more than 100 countries, quickly and efficiently achieve competitive advantage. For more information, visit www.unisys.com
Emma Thompson, Unisys, +44 1895 862870
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