Issues with the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s (PSNI’s) ControlWorks software led to the need for manual forms to record public calls after its introduction in 2019.
The incidents were not reported to the Northern Ireland Policing Board, despite expectations for serious incidents to be disclosed.
ControlWorks is used for managing calls received by emergency services and dispatching police officers to incidents.
Technical problems with ControlWorks required system restarts and patching, forcing police to resort to paper forms at times.
ControlWorks aimed to improve response times
The PSNI adopted ControlWorks in 2018 to replace its outdated command and control system.
Despite initial issues, ControlWorks was intended to enhance response times for emergency services.
The PSNI has a help desk to address IT issues and can escalate problems to its supplier.
Missing persons search
A delay in passing information to police officers searching for missing teenager Noah Donohoe was attributed to ControlWorks issues.
The delay may have impacted the search operation for Donohoe, who was found dead days later.
Police recorded a significant problem with ControlWorks during the investigation into Donohoe’s disappearance.
Manchester had serious IT issues
Greater Manchester Police faced challenges with its Integrated Operational Policing System (iOPS) that included ControlWorks.
An independent review highlighted issues with the project, leading to temporary use of pen and paper for record-keeping.
ControlWorks continues to be used despite the problems encountered with the integration project.
Policing Board seeks clarification from PSNI
The Northern Ireland Policing Board expects to be informed of major system disruptions or data loss incidents.
An inquiry into Noah Donohoe’s death is scheduled, prompting questions about the ControlWorks issues.
The PSNI stated that there have been no major disruptions leading to data loss so far.
Capita chose not to provide a comment on the matter.
