Overcoming the barriers to police regionalisation and collaboration

Most Chief Constables agree that regionalisation and collaboration are a necessary part of reducing the cost of UK policing. But what are the real benefits of IT collaboration and how can the barriers to achieving them be overcome?

Identifying the Benefits of Collaboration

The benefits of collaboration are wide and varied. According to the HMIC and Audit Commission Report Sustaining Value for Money in the Police Service, 40% of chief constables think collaboration represents the greatest opportunity for future
savings.

There are opportunities for significant savings to be made through joint purchasing and rationalisation of hardware and software installations. And beyond this, the savings from improved efficacy of policing may be even greater. 

Centralised systems to reduce cost

Centralised IT systems have great potential to reduce the cost of purchasing and maintaining hardware and software. Moving from a situation where every police force has its own dedicated systems and associated hardware and support staff, to a scenario where two or more forces share a joint system allows forces to:

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