Policing Authority wants urgent investment in Garda IT
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The Policing Authority has written to Justice Minister Helen McEntee warning that it is “imperative” that there is urgent investment in Garda technology.
The authority made the intervention following discussions with Garda HQ.
The IT needs include replacing the antiquated Garda Pulse computer system, developing secure digital radio systems and regional command centres, providing hi-tech mobility devices for gardaí and digitally-integrated garda cars.
The massive investment, called for in the Policing Commission report of September 2018, is set out in the
Garda sources have told the that the bulk of Government investment in garda ICT has for many years been spent on “maintaining current systems”, with little left to invest in new systems and technology.
The Policing Authority, on the back of discussions with Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, sent a letter to Ms McEntee on October 5.
The authority said there is an “imperative for immediate investment in ICT”.
Asked by the why it made the call, the authority said: “The authority has been engaged with the Garda Síochána on the development of its
“It is the authority’s view that a major investment is required in Information and Technology (IT) and that this is important for enhancing the effectiveness of policing performance.”
In the Garda strategy document for 2020-2013, Commissioner Harris said the organisation “must deliver upon” the investment set out in it.
The programme covers a wide area, including:
*Replacing the old Garda Pulse system, including with new modern systems for investigation management [already developed but not yet deployed], budget, human resources, property management, risk management, enterprise content management and rostering;
*New regional control and contact centres, including computer-aided dispatch, securing connections between all garda buildings and garda information systems, a secure digital radio service, rollout of ICT for regional cybercrime units, a new fingerprint system, biometric identification services, digital interview recording systems and investment in ICT for the garda national security and intelligence service;
* Providing mobility devices to all gardaí [with access to necessary information] as well as body-worn cameras and garda vehicles with computer-aided dispatch and access to records management systems and a new automated number plate recognition system
In a statement, the Department of Justice said an additional €22m was provided for garda ICT in Budget 2021, bringing the garda ICT budget to over €70m for the second year in a row.
It said that a separate, specific provision of €7m was made for the provision of additional mobile devices.
Details of investment included: Schengen Information System (€6.2m in 2020 and €4.4m in 2021); Computer-aided-dispatch system (€2.1m in 2020 and €3.7m in 2021); Data centre equipment (€1.8m in 2020 and €7m in 2021) and cyber-crime bureau (€1.8m in 2021).