West Midlands Police case study
Sophisticated communications for effective policing
With the number of 999 calls doubling over the past ten years, a
fast, secure communications network was critical for the effective
handling of police information and emergency calls across the West
Midlands region.However, the existing separate voice and data
networks were inefficient. Capacity was often limited – resulting
in bottlenecks and slow connectivity.
ntl:Telewest Business provided the solution. We installed a
cohesive data and voice infrastructure, linking West Midlands
police stations across the force area and providing high-speed
communications to support effective policing.
Delivering critical information – faster
West Midlands Police is the second largest police force in the
country, covering an area of 348 square miles and serving a
population of almost 2.63 million. On a typical day, officers
respond to over 2,000 emergency calls and deal with more than
3,200 incidents. Our state-of-the-art data network means the police
can respond faster – a key weapon in the fight against
crime.
Linking sites across the region
Previously, the West Midlands Police used a number of
different circuits for voice and data communications. However,
while some of them were stretched to capacity – others were not
being fully utilised. “The aim was to bring together these
disparate networks to improve connectivity, make the system easier
to manage – and ultimately more cost-effective to run,” explains
Max Corney, Communications Manager at West Midlands Police.
The first phase of the project linked the main police sites
in Birmingham, Solihull, West Bromwich, Walsall, Wolverhampton
and Dudley with a unified data and voice infrastructure. In phase
two, we linked in the three main police stations in
Coventry. The final phase connects over 90 smaller police
stations across the West Midlands to the network.
Improving public access to services
As well as providing a high-speed data
network, we also supplied West Midlands Police with a new number
for nonemergency calls. The 0845 number replaced numerous different
numbers used to reach police stations throughout the West Midlands
– making it easier for the public to
contact them.
The 0845 number connects the public to
a centralised call centre where trained personnel can place calls
quickly and efficiently. “The non-emergency number allows for
better use of police time and is fully manned so members of the
public can reach us around the clock,” says Max. The dedicated
number averages 10,000 calls daily and has had as many as 17,000
calls in a single day.
Working together to achieve results
Max has been impressed both with the
simplicity and the cost-effectiveness of the new solution.
“Logistics become less of a headache when you’re managing just the
one network,” he comments. “And in addition to faster speeds and
consolidated billing, it has given us a substantial increase in
bandwidth at the same operating costs as before.”
The ntl:Telewest Business team meets
regularly with the West Midlands Police IT department to make sure
that each project phase runs as smoothly as possible. “We couldn’t
do without these meetings,” says Max. “They give us an opportunity
to discuss all aspects of our work together – from billing and
potential problems to strategy and technical aspects.” He adds:
“We’ve come to rely on ntl:Telewest Business’s fast, responsive
service – available to us 24/7”.
What it has made possible
Police officers at stations across the
region can now communicate with each other at greater speeds,
sharing critical information in a secure environment. Fast access
to a central database has enabled the implementation of a “sector
policing” strategy – empowering local police officers. In addition,
the new network supports sophisticated surveillance techniques,
carrying video streams from helicopter-mounted cameras and
high-street CCTV systems.