By Alice Chambers |
Durham Police in the UK is using Microsoft technology to speed up public information requests.
The police force worked with Microsoft Power Automate partner Robiquity to develop bespoke case management systems for legislations such as Clare’s Law and Sarah’s Law. The legislations are designed to help individuals assess potential risks related to partners or ex-partners for domestic violence or abuse, and enable parents or carers to request information about individuals who have contact with children, particularly if there are concerns about child sexual abuse.
Each request is discussed as part of a Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference application, with information given by representatives from the police, health organisations, child protection, housing, probation and other organisations.
The new management system automates these applications to cut the average time it takes between an individual requesting the information and receiving an answer from the police from 28 to 17 days. Durham Police can also now use easily accessible dashboards to gain better visibility into the status of applications.
“The idea is to give people the correct information so they can make informed decisions around their safeguarding,” said Andy Phillips, detective inspector at Durham Police. “Ultimately, if there’s a woman at risk of domestic violence or abuse, getting that information sooner could potentially save her life.”
Durham Police will explore further enhancements to its systems, including automating the research stage and applying AI to further expedite the process.
“The technology is there to do it, and while we are processing applications effectively now, automating the research stage would enable us to handle even more cases, faster. That’s got to be good for everyone,” said Phillips.