Agenda item

To consider a report of the Commissioner of Police.

The Committee considered a report of the Commissioner of Police which asked Members to approve the Computer Estate Model detailed within the report, and endorse the request for additional funding to enable the implementation of the optimum catalogue of devices across the City of London Police (CoLP). 

At the request of the Committee, this report was moved to the public section of the meeting.

The Director of Corporate Services informed Members that the computer estate model was influenced by the Force’s City Futures Initiative and the Accommodation project which both sought to improve the Force’s IT structure and enhance digitisation. Part of this process required examining and improving upon the Force’s existing ways of working and liaising with the Corporation to align network technology to enhance Force network access. Members were advised at the next meeting of the Committee, a further program of works would be presented.

The Director of Corporate Services advised that there was an error listed in the Computer Rationalisation Model (page 9), and the costs for screens and docking stations could be removed, which lowered the total cost over three years to £419,000.

The Chief Information Officer informed Members the Chamberlain’s Department had engaged in robust discussions with the Police, to ensure Force IT provisions were aligned with Corporation IT where possible. The Chief Technology Officer added that the mix of devices the Force had originally requested, as part of the Gateway 4 report, had since been amended. Officers highlighted that a mixture of mobile devices and increased in scope was required, and the report included the purchase costs for tablet devices and laptop computers as opposed to fixed desktop computers.

Members expressed their concern that devices for mobile working were costly and not necessarily required, and also that placing large orders of devices such as tablets should lower the per item cost. The Chief Technology Officer replied that set office space was not required, which lowered the overall office space required, and in many instances across the Force and given the nature of roles, many required their own individual devices which permitted remote working.

A Member expressed concern over the security of mobile IT devices, and the fact that they could be left in unsecure locations. The Chief Technology Officer reassured Members that due to the Force’s IT security systems and the nature of levels of information security, it could be the case that some restricted information would not be accessible from certain mobile devices and that information security had been considered at the highest level and factored in as a key consideration.

RESOLVED – That,

a)    the computer estate model outlined in the report be approved as follows –

i.      the computer  estate be reduced from 1600 to approximately 1200 by April 2013, and approximately 900 by the end of 2014 to coincide with the CoLP Mobile Data Project;

ii.    450 tablet devices be purchased for front line police officers, to provide mobile devices for operation policing requirements working within a mobile environment; and

b)    the request for additional funding of £558,500 to enable implementation of the optimum catalogue of devices across the CoLP be approved.