Two police forces in the South West of England have agreed on a 10-year managed IT service contract worth £70 million with BT.
Devon and Cornwall Police and Dorset Police – which between them handle more than one million calls and respond to over 118,000 incidents per year – have signed the company to manage their IT services and further develop their digital infrastructures.
BT said that frontline officers will be provided with a suite of services to support the use of body-worn cameras, and the contract will include the provision of field mobile, Airwave vehicle and handheld connectivity, along with security and customer service desk applications.
It added that it will support public contact and staff collaboration platforms, supporting the forces in compliance with security frameworks, and in social value initiatives, including measures to improve transparency on the environmental impact of police activities in the region.
Building on relationship
Mark Chivers, chief technology officer at Devon and Cornwall Police, said the new contract follows a long term relationship between the force and BT.
“We are looking forward to working closely with BT colleagues to implement a new contract across both Dorset Police and Devon and Cornwall Police and to act as our key technology partner in our rapidly changing environment,” he said.
“BT brings a wealth of expertise from its wider organisation and having a contract that covers both forces will enable service improvements and efficiencies through the standardisation of service across our strategic alliance.”
Ashish Gupta, managing director, corporate and public sector at BT, said: “This new managed service from BT will help future proof connectivity in all areas of policing, from those on the frontline to behind-the-scenes support staff, helping them to protect the public and keep pace with the changing nature of crime.”
