2018-11-21

G4S and Motorola Solutions to Deliver the UK Police’s First Cloud-Based, Next-Gen. Control Room Solution to Lincolnshire Police

Source: The Critical Communications Review | Gert Jan Wolf editor

G4S, a leading global integrated security company, has awarded Motorola Solutions a 10-year contract to deliver the UK’s first cloud-based, integrated CommandCentral Control Room Solution (CRS) to Lincolnshire Police.

Having recently deployed Motorola Solutions’ Pronto mobile workforce application, the partnership further develops Lincolnshire’s strategy, deploying Motorola Solutions’ suite of cloud-hosted, public safety software for the control room environment. The new solution will enhance effectiveness for public and staff at lower cost by enabling the Police force to digitally transform its operations.

Motorola Solutions’ CommandCentral CRS provides a unified and highly scalable platform that integrates multiple control room functions, including Integrated Communications Control System (ICCS), Contact Management, Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD), mapping and call logging. Using this platform, Lincolnshire Police will benefit from a continuous workflow experience, enabling control room operators to handle calls faster, make more informed decisions, allocate resources more efficiently as well as coordinate seamlessly with other support organisations.

As the first cloud-based system of its kind used by a UK Police force, CommandCentral CRS will also significantly simplify management for Lincolnshire Police’s IT team. For example, the ‘as-a-service’ scalability and flexibility benefits of cloud mean it is no longer necessary to pre-determine how many fixed positions or data capacity is required. Additionally, there is no need for a dedicated backup in the case of a site failure. This helps Lincolnshire Police reduce costs and increase operational flexibility.

Lincolnshire Police are also current users of Motorola Solutions’ Pronto suite of mobile workforce applications that digitise all frontline operational workflows. Integrated with CRS, police officers using Pronto can now also gain direct access to command and control, and the Police National Computer from the field. The solution also sets Lincolnshire up to use enhanced data capabilities of the Emergency Services Network (ESN).

“It has been a high priority for me to ensure frontline officers can be deployed quickly, with the right equipment, and to spend as much time as possible in the field reassuring communities, preventing and fighting crime,” said Marc Jones, Police and Crime Commissioner for Lincolnshire Police.

Jones continued: “Our drive to provide cutting-edge technology to the force is about making sure we provide the most efficient and effective service to the people of Lincolnshire. The new command and control system is one important step in that journey and will allow the Chief to get assistance to those in need quicker than ever before – and armed with the right information to handle the situation.”

“Motorola Solutions has already allowed us to become a leading force in the country in providing data access to frontline officers through the Pronto application suite on mobile data terminals. With this new control room solution, we will be even better positioned to integrate key information from many internal and external sources, enabling our control room staff to dispatch resources intelligently, meaning we get the right skills to the incident, quickly, fully prepared and supported,” said Bill Skelly, chief constable for Lincolnshire Police.

“We’re setting our force up for the future. We have entered a 10-year partnership with Motorola Solutions knowing that they are committed to making sure that we constantly stay at the leading edge of policing, as we will be able to add new innovations to our solution as soon as they become available,” Skelly continued.

John Whitwam, managing director, G4S Policing Services, commented: “We are pleased the G4S Strategic Partnership with Lincolnshire Police will enable Lincolnshire to be at the forefront of technology, supporting officers and staff to make the best decisions by being better informed. This is the best of a private and public partnership, with G4S, Motorola Solutions and Lincolnshire Police working together to provide sustainable and effective policing services to the public of Lincolnshire.”

Phil Jefferson, Motorola Solutions vice president and country manager for UK, Northern and Southern Europe and North Africa, said: “We’re very excited to extend our technology partnership with Lincolnshire Police and help them realise their long-term goals around technology to enable better policing.”