DELAYS TO a £32 million IT project has angered the leader of the Essex Police Federation.
Operation Athena is a £32 million system that will enable a number of forces to share intelligence.
Chairman of Essex Police Federation, Mark Smith questioned the expense.
He told the Echo: “We need to get it working and up and running, but I do have concerns. You try to be optimistic and hope the money has not been wasted.
“But we have lost officers, staff, the mounted unit, police stations and if we have more cuts in the second comprehensive spending review due later this month, then it is a risk putting money in if it never works.”
Essex Police refused to confirm how much the force was paying for it – although it could be more than £5 million over ten years.
IT systems have become more and more important to policing ever since the search for the Yorkshire Ripper was seen as severely hampered by using a manual card system. A system called HOLMES was introduced after that and IT has becoming increasingly important after that.
An Essex Police spokesman said: “As with any large project, there are a number of stages before it can go live.
“Inevitably there are issues which can cause delays. However we are confident the project will be delivered.”
Essex Police also defended their decision to spend the money on the system. The spokesman added: “Project Athena is one of the largest ever joint police projects.
“The new system will help forces to manage criminal investigations better, reduce cost and, most importantly, create a safer environment for local people.
“Athena will allow police officers and staff to see the whole picture relating to incidents and the people involved.”