A NEW cutting-edge computer system will bring policing the Thames Valley into the 21st century.

The Oxford Mail revealed last week that the ‘contact management platform’, which will transform the way police in the region respond to crime reports, is now ready to roll out.

Developed by TVP and Hampshire Constabulary in conjunction with Microsoft, the software will replace more than 20 systems across both forces.

The new system will change the way people report crime, giving the public the opportunity to let police know about less serious crimes and non-emergencies via email.

Police working on street level will be able to access the system through mobile devices.

It boasts the ability to map out crime patterns, autonomously linking separate calls about similar events.

Some concerns have been raised around delays and costs: the system was due to go live in April and its budget is also understood to have risen from £27m to around £32m.

However, the consensus is that the system is vital for policing the modern age.

Craig O'Leary, chairman of workers' union the Thames Valley Police Federation, said: “The problem that police forces are facing is they are now having to pay for years and years of lack of investment in IT systems, so it’s coming to a great big cost.

“It is a double edged sword but there are benefits of moving forward for years to come.

“This is going to put Thames Valley Police at the forefront of resourcing management.”

Tom Hayes, Oxford City Council’s lead on community safety, said he also found some issues around the development of the system concerning, but accepted the need for TVP to make such technological advances.

He said: “British policing is a human affair bit the biggest opportunity in policing lies in technology.

“We need the police to be taking advantage of this opportunity, so it’s concerning that this system is so delayed and so over budget, particularly when money is scarce in policing.

“Whether you look at the ways in which data can be transferred, the way evidence can now be shared, or the ways in which fingerprints can be taken on the go, we need the police to have the ability to exploit the opportunity of modern technology.”

The system will now have to go through rigorous testing before it can be introduced.

Police would not say how long this process would take.