Police IT to face government review

The role of the Police IT Organisation (PITO) in providing national IT and communications systems to the police and criminal justice system is be the subject of a comprehensive government review.

The delivery, performance and structure of PITO will come under scrutiny as part of the review that all non-departmental public bodies must undergo every five years.

Home Office Minister Hazel Blears said in a statement: "PITO is working towards tough delivery and performance targets and like all non-departmental public bodies is subject to regular reviews. This comprehensive review will help PITO identify areas for improvement and make recommendations for building on delivery."

The review will be headed by Robert McFarland, who also led the review of the Forensic Science Service last year and the 1998 review of the Crown Prosecution Service. He will report the findings in October 2004.

A spokeswoman for PITO told silicom.com that the review is a regular procedure and not in response to any PITO performance issues.

"We'll comply with what we need to do," she said.

In its last annual report, PITO revealed that biometrics and a database of violent criminals and sex offenders are at the heart of the police's use of technology to fight crime over the next five years.