By Richard Humphreys |
West Mercia Police, which employs nearly 2,000 officers in Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire, is to implement new technology that will enable victims of crime to speak to police via live chat.
The solution will be hosted on the Microsoft Azure cloud and will use the Dynamics 365 customer relationship management (CRM) platform.
Victims can also log in to a secure website to see status updates, key information, guidance and how they can contact victim care coordinators in the way they want.
Matthew Chester, head of Victim Services at West Mercia Police, said: “Feedback from victims demonstrated the need for a single point of entry, quick updates on their case, and greater ownership of their journey. We’ve made best use of technology to deliver this priority initiative quickly, cost-effectively and with minimal operational or financial risk.”
He added that the decision to work closely with Microsoft partner Tisski to create the solution “will ensure we can maintain a high quality, professional and compassionate service whilst minimising the overhead on valuable operational resources”.
Chris Perkins, general manager of Public Sector at Microsoft UK, said: “By having a single view of cases from end-to-end, West Mercia Police will be able to give victims of crime a personalised and joined-up service during a difficult time in their lives.
“Dynamics 365 will ensure staff can work together seamlessly, with the latest data and insights at their fingertips, so they can continue to put the public first and help the community in a digital world.”