Police Software

A little while back, I ask all the authorities in Wales for how much they spent on software licences and how if they had looked into using the government's G Cloud system.  The reason for this was that most councils are looking for ways to save money, which is a good thing.  The results I got where in the above post.  A little while back, thought, I started thinking. Should I ask other people and other organisations as it would give a good way of looking at other public bodies use their computer equipment. So I decided to ask all the police authorities in Wales the same question:

1) How much was spent on software licences in 2015

2) Does your constabulary use freeware or opensource software

3) Has your constabulary investigated the use of the government's G - cloud system

The answers are such

Name	Amount Spent	Freeware/ Opensource	G - cloud
North Wales Police	£998,513.07	Freeware	Looked into
Dyfed Powys	£1,132,649.57	Yes	Looked into
South Wales Police	£1,667,389	Yes	Looked into
Gwent Police	£1,625,879	Refused	Refused

Fair play to North Wales police for spending the less, but a bit of a black mark for gwent refusing to answer about freeware and G cloud.  Never mind, eh?  So it shows that they spend a lot more on their software than the local councils. So why is this? Part of this comes from the response that was given by Dyfed Powys. In their response came the following answer on software licences:

£599,578.87: The cost for software support from the Systems Maintenance and Support budget heading.

£533,070.70: Home Office charges which includes support for National Systems e.g. PNC

Did you know that the police constabularies have to pay maintenance of national system?  Neither did I (Are we learning yet kids!).

Again, it does show something very interesting in the fact that these forces have investigated the use of the G Cloud.  Now I could ask them for their report, but that's not a thing I want to go into at the moment.

Again this is does answer part of the answer of my ongoing quest to find out what the BBC were on about when they did their report into the G cloud (look at the blog post I linked to above). If so many forces can save money, then why are they not doing it?

I should point out that I have also asked the same question to the fire departments in Wales too.  I am just awaiting their results...