Troubled Greater Manchester Police record system remains in use

The record management software was set to be replaced years ago

A police IT system responsible for more than 80,000 crimes going unrecorded is still in use despite plans to abandon it, a chief constable has said.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) planned to scrap the PoliceWorks software in 2022 after inspectors discovered failings two years earlier.

But Chief Constable Stephen Watson said the "sub-optimal" system remains in use after being "updated and improved".

He told a police scrutiny meeting he still planned to replace the system.

The software is part of the integrated operational policing system installed in 2019 and was later found responsible for a range of problems including delays in answering 999 calls and "serious" backlogs in dealing with abuse cases.

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary placed England's second-largest police force in special measures after the failings came to light in 2020.

Stephen Watson said efforts were underway to replace the system

Chief Constable Watson, who took up the role in 2021 to lead improvements at GMP, previously said the PoliceWorks software "could not be adapted or fixed to fully meet the needs of our organisation".

But speaking at a police accountability meeting this week, he confirmed the software had been updated and was still in use, adding it was "hardly holding back our performance".

A "protracted" process was underway to find a replacement for the system, which had been improved in the meantime, he said.

"We are trying to be conservative with a little 'C' with [something] that we know will work.

"But the market only has a couple of products which we would need to tweak."

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