Greater Manchester Police to ditch controversial PoliceWorks computer system
It comes after the policing watchdog found the Manchester force failed to properly record 80,000 crimes
Last updated 21st Mar 2022
Greater Manchester Police has decided to scrap a controversial computer system just three years after it was rolled out to frontline officers.
The PoliceWorks system was first introduced in 2019 at a cost of around £27m and led to major concerns about information going missing.
The policing watchdog found that around 80,000 crimes were not properly recorded under the new system after it was brought in.
Chief Constable Stephen Watson has now decided to scrap PoliceWorks entirely, rather than attempt to repair the system.
In a statement, he said:
"Upon taking office as the Chief Constable for Greater Manchester, I committed myself to taking immediate steps to addressing those underlying issues which were undermining our operational performance.
"One of the most prominent problems to be resolved related to the PoliceWorks element of the Force's IT infrastructure, which controls our records management.
"It was clear from listening to staff feedback, independent assessment commissioned by the Mayor and HMICFRS, that PoliceWorks was not meeting our requirements, and was hindering our ability to fulfil essential policing tasks."
The system is due for renewal in 2023, so Stephen says now is 'a favourable time' to consider change.
"I am confident that we have reviewed every option available to us. I have concluded that, while two-thirds of the original iOPs system is working effectively, PoliceWorks cannot be adapted or fixed to fully meet the needs of our organisation.
"We therefore intend to move away from the PoliceWorks system and to replace it with a tried and tested product already in use by other forces, rather than the development of bespoke technology."