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Police IT refresh to improve witness experience
Pito to let victims and witnesses log on from home

By Will Sturgeon

Published: Friday 13 January 2006

The Police Information Technology Organisation (Pito) has announced its latest improvements in a bid to modernise the criminal justice system.

Through a partnership with the Lanner Group, whose Witness simulation software will be deployed, Pito is hoping to keep witnesses and victims up to date with the proceedings of court cases which they are involved in.

A spokeswoman for Pito told silicon.com this will mean victims and witnesses need not attend court each day in order to stay in touch with the case.

She said: "They will be able to log in and keep up-to-date with the trial."

The spokeswoman told silicon.com the sensitive nature of information held on the system means security will be paramount. It won't be a system open to everybody and only those involved with the trial will be given permissions to access the information.

The spokeswoman said: "Obviously because these are court cases, the security around it will be really tight, as with everything we do."

John Burbeck, Warwickshire chief constable and chairman of The National Custody and Case Preparation Programme Board, said: "This is the start of a 10-step approach to force-wide business change and Lanners Witness simulation will be at the front-end of how we approach this."

The Pito spokeswoman confirmed there is no timescale for the full rollout of the service at present.