Streamlining the fight against crime

A new integrated criminal records database will be launched later this summer to help police crack crime quicker.

The system will be complemented by an amalgamated 911 centre for all three emergency services as well as a non-emergency call centre to deal with minor incidents.

The moves are part of an initiative to allow officers to spend more time in the community.

The plans were outlined by Deputy Commissioner Paul Wright, as he spoke to the Bermuda Sun this week.

Mr Wright said: “We have already established a records management unit specifically that will help us create a new model.

“The new integrated records system provides links between incidents, custody records and police intelligence, and makes it easier to share this information throughout the service.

“The Memex system will make it easier to record incidents so police spend more time in the community and less time in the office.”

The new Deputy Commissioner added: “Once Memex is up and running — and it is already being used by Serious Crime and in custody — there will be the transition to create a combined emergency 911 centre for all the emergency services.

 “This will redefine all of our existing business practices to make for greater efficiency. They are very significant changes.

“The focus is to keep police officers on the street and engaged with members of the public. The more time they are in the police station entering data, the less time they have to be out doing proactive policing.”

The Memex system has already been used for the last couple of months by Serious Crime as well as the custody department.

And it has proven to be an extremely successful tool in linking criminals, stolen property, police intelligence and crimes in the UK.

Memex is expected to be fully operational this summer, while the new call centres should be up and running by the end of the year.

The new records management system and the call centres will be situated in the same building at Prospect along with the CCTV surveillance headquarters. 

Mr Wright said police needed to do a better job in prioritizing calls.

He added: “Traditionally 911 calls have been dealt with by our communications room and it’s fair to say we received calls, got the bare details and sent someone out to deal with the issue, who then came back and entered the data.

“What we want to do is have people who can deal with the issues over the phone and give advice and determine that the call does not require an immediate response.

“The whole object is to provide a more consistent response from the police to the 70 or so calls we get per day.” 

See part two of this interview in next Wednesday’s Bermuda Sun.