Police systems are less likely to experience disruptions

In recent months, the police’s ICT systems have become less susceptible to malfunctions. Less than 150 major failures were reported in the first quarter of this year. The number of applications used has also been drastically reduced.

In the past, the police have often been criticized for their police systems, in particular the so-called Basic Enforcement System. This system, a central information system for reporting incidents and preparing official reports and personal files, has been a source of concern for years and, according to critics, a bottomless pit.

A so-called attack program has brought relief in recent months, according to new figures released by the government. Whereas in 2010, there were still more than 4000 major IT failures, that number fell to 1,454 last year. Fewer than 150 major IT failures were counted in the first quarter of this year, so turns out from the report ‘Progress Attack Program IV Police 2011-2014’.

“I have noticed that since October 2011, many activities have been initiated and completed by the police officers involved in the provision of information and ICT at the police that contribute to the continuity of the current ICT systems,” said Minister Ivo Opstelten of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Safety and justice.

One of the improvements implemented is a monitoring tool that monitors the ‘health’ of components of the basic services. “Certain disruptions are therefore noticed earlier and are prevented in the operations control room instead of by the user himself,” says Opstelten.

According to the minister, another improvement that has taken place is that the number of applications at the police has been reduced significantly, which reduces the complexity of the application portfolio and increases manageability. Where previously nearly 1,900 different applications were in use and had to be managed, this has been reduced to 1,244 since the end of the first quarter.

The government will allocate 326 million euros in the coming years to put an end to the ICT problems at the police. The money will be used, among other things, for the development of a single national information facility and better software tools.