NT picks new core policing system provider

The NT government has signed a deal with Canadian specialist policing system provider Niche Technology to replace the state’s core crimes database.

The government committed $45 million in last year’s budget to replace the police real-time online information system (PROMIS) over four years.

It made the decision to replace the 19-year-old system it licences from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) after coming to power in 2016.

The decision aligned with the former Country Liberal Party pledge to replace the system, following a crash that left police recording all their activities on handwritten notes for four days.

NT Policing began work mapping out the replacement after an initial injection of $1 million in 2015 in preparation for the AFP ending support beyond 2017.

Police Minister Nicole Manison today revealed Niche Technology had been selected to provide the state's new primary police record keeping system, with the help of IT professionals from local territory suppliers.

The core policing system, dubbed ‘SerPro’ (to ‘Serve and Protect’), will allow frontline police officers to “access ... policing records digitally right across the territory in real-time, regardless of location and enable use on mobile devices”.

“The new system will mean officers spend less time at desks and more time on the streets to better enable them to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour,” Manison said.

The Department of Corporate and Information Services - who are managing the project for NT Police - will introduce the system over several years.

Queensland and South Australia are already using the Niche system to support policing activities, which Manison said created “opportunities for cross border collaboration and improved policing outcomes”.

“The Territory is already working with Queensland and South Australia to learn from their experience as SerPro is implemented.”

The AFP recently revived its attempts to replace PROMIS with a new investigation system for the new 10 to 15 years.