Issue 28 October/November 2016 policeproductinsight.com POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security ISSN 2050-4713
POLICEradio PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services sfor policeilence and national security Is the Emergency Services Network project too high risk? POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security
close call POLICEThe trouble with in-car PRODUCT INSIGHTaccident alert systems International technology and services for police and national security POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security POLICE POLICE POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security
ISSUE 26 JUNE/JULY 2016 POLICEPRODUCTINSIGHT.COM ISSUE 11 DECEMBER 2013/JANUARY 2014 POLICEPRODUCTINSIGHT.COM ISSUE 25 APRIL/MAY 2016 POLICEPRODUCTINSIGHT.COM ISSUE 19 APRIL/MAY 2015 POLICEPRODUCTINSIGHT.COM POLICE POLICE POLICE POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security ISSN 2050-5329 ISSN 2050-4713 ISSN 2050-5329 ISSN 2050-4713 POLICETHE FUTURE OF POLICE POLICE POLICE CRIMEFIGHTING How robotics, cybercrime and nanotechnology PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT POLICEwill change policing International technology and servicesPRODUCT for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security InternationalINSIGHT technology and services for police and national security PRODUCT INSIGHT POLICEInternational technologyPOLICE and servicesPOLICE for police and nationalInternational security technology and services for police and national security PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCTUNDER INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT BIT BY BIT FIRE International technology and services for police and national security The UK has been building its cyber Extreme flame resistance LINES OF POLICEresilience, but has it done enough? POLICEtesting methods for PPE POLICEINQUIRY PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHTHow biometric systems are International technology and services for police and national security InternationalISRAEL technology FOCUS and services for police and national security International technology and services for policeleveraging and national police security sketches POLICE Cybersecurity, covert surveillance, infrastructure protection PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security
LOCK AND KEY A locked iPhone put MAKING FACES Apple on a collision How to improve identity LEGACY ICT course with the FBI POLICE matching rates for facial POLICEAttempts to modernise PRODUCTTHE BIG BANG INSIGHT composite images police data sharing in the UK International technologyThe NYPD'sand services gunshot for police and national security POLICEPRODUCT INSIGHTdetection system PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and servicesInternational for police and national security technology and services for police and national security
ISSUE 9 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013 POLICEPRODUCTINSIGHT.COM ISSUE 20 JUNE/JULY 2015 POLICEPRODUCTINSIGHT.COM POLICE POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security ISSN 2050 ‑4713 ISSN 2050-4713 POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT POLICE International technology and services for police and national security PRODUCT INSIGHT POLICEInternational technology and services for police and national security POLICETACTICAL PRODUCTADVANTAGE INSIGHT InternationalHow through-the-wall technology and radar services isPRODUCT for police and national security INSIGHTPOLICE changing hostage incidents PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and nationalInternational security technology and services for police and national security POLICE DRONES PRODUCT INSIGHT THREATS AND International technology and services forVEHICLE police and nationalTECHNOLOGY security POLICE Use of in-car video, automatic PRODUCTOPPORTUNITIES INSIGHT location and ANPR in the US International technologyUK officers and services patrol with for policeUAVs and national security take over control of enforcement
POLICEBODY ARMOUR CYBER CRIME FORENSICS FOCUS How to choose the Better education Reducing costs by rightPRODUCT kit for the job is vital to security INSIGHTsharing services International technology and services for police and national security
ISSUE 22 OCTOBER.NOVEMBER 2015 POLICEPRODUCTINSIGHT.COM ISSUE 5 DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013 POLICEPRODUCTINSIGHT.COM ISSUE 13 APRIL/MAY 2014 POLICEPRODUCTINSIGHT.COM POLICE ISSUE 23 DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016 POLICEPRODUCTINSIGHT.COM POLICE POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security ISSN 2050-4713 International technology and services for police and national security ISSN 2050-5329 ISSN 2050-4713 ISSN 2050-5329
DATA IMPACT Downloading crash evidence from vehicle EDRs POLICE POLICE POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHTFACE POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for policeTHE and national FACTS security PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security Facial recognition International technology and services for police and national security systems are fast ANATOMY approaching OF A CRIME technological How forensic anthropology POLICEmaturity is helping investigations POLICE POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security PRODUCTABOUT FACE INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security InternationalBiometric powers technology for and services for police and national security POLICE mugshot databases POLICE POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security International technologyWATCHERS' and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security
READ THE WISH LIST FULL STOP SMALL PRINT As debate around the tension Make the most POLICEof your ANPR POLICEThe pitfalls of public POLICEbetween surveillance and POLICE safety ICT contracts privacy grows, law enforcement PRODUCT INSIGHTdeployments PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCTmakes its case INSIGHT clear International technology and services for police and national security PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security Get your free subscription now
® Subscribe today for the free BLACK EAGLE international technology and TACTICAL services magazine for the police Sporty boot based on advanced and national security industries. running technology As well as the latest issue, you will > Waterproof and breathable with GORE-TEX® be able to download our entire > Improved damping with HAIX® Absorption archive of issues, containing a > Slip resistant Rubber/PU sole > HAIX® Climate System wealth of policing product news,
knowledge and expertise. Quality shoes for police, rescue services, firefighters, hunting, Simply visit: forest, military, work- wear and leisure time www.haix.co.uk www.policeproductinsight.com Subscribe at: policeproductinsight.com Paid print & digital subscription Free digital-only subscription POLICE a publication PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security Editorial submissions and queries: [email protected] policeproductinsight.com
NEWS 6-8 on the cover POLICEVoyeur convicted with digital forensics radio silence 16 PRODUCTNational uniformINSIGHT supply contract With the UK EmergencyInternational Services technology Network and services for police and national security in danger of falling short, Gary Mason Ontario force wins data analytics accolade looks at the problems facing the world’s most advanced first responder network Tetrapol network covered Olympic Games POLICEAnti-ransomware tool goes online PRODUCTMission critical INSIGHT radio put to the test International technology and services for police and national security ‘Textalyser’ aims to catch motorists
Advanced footprint measuring method POLICEChicago eyes body-worn video roll-out PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology anda servicesnaly for policesis and national 14-15 security rising car thefts The UK Home Office is calling for a ‘third wave’ of security upgrades to tackle rising POLICEcar theft in London and elsewhere. PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology ands servicescienc fore policesupport and national security Collaboration on forensic science support is boosting the efficiency of the police forces 16 in Yorkshire and the Humber
20 22 products 14-15
FEATURES 16-26
finger on the pulse 16 Kevin Kearley reviews the next generation of latent fingerprint technology, which has speeded up the forensic process and significantly reduced its carbon footprint
identity crisis 20 As face-to-face encounters are replaced Editor Gary Mason by virtual ones and online shopping with a Advertising Sales Manager smartphone becomes our preferred way to Scott Docherty +44 (0)203 119 3355 24 buy things, the task of verifying someone’s [email protected] identity is more critical than ever to our Web Designer and Manager financial security, writes David Poole Stuart Traynor Art Editor David Devonport Close call 24 07902 812377 Vehicle telematics systems that contact Published by RS Media, publishers of the emergency services in the event of an PoliceOracle.com. 77 Bastwick Street, London accident could save countless lives, but EC1V 3PZ, UK – Copyright 2014 Red Snapper Gary Mason finds that an EU initiative to Media. Articles published may not be reproduced in any form without express permission of RS Media. broaden their use could leave emergency (Print) ISSN 2050-4713 (Online) ISSN 2050‑5329 control rooms struggling to cope C over and inside : istockphoto
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 www.policeproductinsight.com 3 3 – 6.3.2017 Nuremberg, Germany
www.iwa.info
International Exhibition & Conference Law Enforcement, Security and Tactical Solutions enforcetac.com
Information: Overseas Trade Show Agencies Ltd. | T + 44 (0) 20.7886 3102 | [email protected] Access: Persons under the age of 18 and private citizens are not admitted. Proof of eligibility required. POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security POLICE Get your free PRODUCT INSIGHT subscription now International technology and services for police and national security POLICE POLICE POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security
ISSUE 26 JUNE/JULY 2016 POLICEPRODUCTINSIGHT.COM ISSUE 11 DECEMBER 2013/JANUARY 2014 POLICEPRODUCTINSIGHT.COM ISSUE 25 APRIL/MAY 2016 POLICEPRODUCTINSIGHT.COM ISSUE 19 APRIL/MAY 2015 POLICEPRODUCTINSIGHT.COM POLICE POLICE POLICE POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security ISSN 2050-5329 ISSN 2050-4713 ISSN 2050-5329 ISSN 2050-4713 POLICETHE FUTURE OF POLICE POLICE POLICE CRIMEFIGHTING Subscribe today for the free How robotics, cybercrime and nanotechnology PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT POLICEwill change policing International technology and servicesPRODUCT for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security InternationalINSIGHT technology and services for police and national security PRODUCT INSIGHT POLICEInternational technologyPOLICE and servicesPOLICE for police and nationalInternational security technology and services for police and national security PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCTUNDER INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT international technology and International technology and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT BIT BY BIT FIRE International technology and services for police and national security The UK has been building its cyber Extreme flame resistance LINES OF POLICEresilience, but has it done enough? POLICEtesting methods for PPE POLICEINQUIRY PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHTHow biometric systems are International technology and services for police and national security InternationalISRAEL technology FOCUS and services for police and national security International technology and services for policeleveraging and national police security sketches POLICE Cybersecurity, covert surveillance, infrastructure protection PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security services magazine for the police
LOCK AND KEY A locked iPhone put MAKING FACES Apple on a collision How to improve identity LEGACY ICT course with the FBI POLICE matching rates for facial POLICEAttempts to modernise PRODUCTTHE BIG BANG INSIGHT composite images police data sharing in the UK International technologyThe NYPD'sand services gunshot for police and national security POLICEPRODUCT INSIGHTdetection system and national security industries. PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and servicesInternational for police and national security technology and services for police and national security
ISSUE 9 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013 POLICEPRODUCTINSIGHT.COM ISSUE 20 JUNE/JULY 2015 POLICEPRODUCTINSIGHT.COM POLICE POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT As well as the latest issue, you will International technology and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security ISSN 2050 ‑4713 ISSN 2050-4713 POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT POLICE International technology and services for police and national security PRODUCT INSIGHT be able to download our entire POLICEInternational technology and services for police and national security POLICETACTICAL PRODUCTADVANTAGE INSIGHT InternationalHow through-the-wall technology and radar services isPRODUCT for police and national security INSIGHTPOLICE changing hostage incidents PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and nationalInternational security technology and services for police and national security archive of issues, containing a POLICE DRONES PRODUCT INSIGHT THREATS AND International technology and services forVEHICLE police and nationalTECHNOLOGY security POLICE Use of in-car video, automatic PRODUCTOPPORTUNITIES INSIGHT location and ANPR in the US International technologyUK officers and services patrol with for policeUAVs and national security take over control of enforcement wealth of policing product news, POLICEBODY ARMOUR CYBER CRIME FORENSICS FOCUS How to choose the Better education Reducing costs by rightPRODUCT kit for the job is vital to security INSIGHTsharing services International technology and services for police and national security
ISSUE 22 OCTOBER.NOVEMBER 2015 POLICEPRODUCTINSIGHT.COM knowledge and expertise. ISSUE 5 DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013 POLICEPRODUCTINSIGHT.COM ISSUE 13 APRIL/MAY 2014 POLICEPRODUCTINSIGHT.COM POLICE ISSUE 23 DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016 POLICEPRODUCTINSIGHT.COM POLICE POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security ISSN 2050-4713 International technology and services for police and national security ISSN 2050-5329 ISSN 2050-4713 ISSN 2050-5329
DATA IMPACT Downloading crash evidence from vehicle EDRs POLICE POLICE POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHTFACE POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for policeTHE and national FACTS security PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security Facial recognition International technology and services for police and national security systems are fast ANATOMY Simply visit: approaching OF A CRIME technological How forensic anthropology POLICEmaturity is helping investigations POLICE POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security PRODUCTABOUT FACE INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security InternationalBiometric powers technology for and services for police and national security mugshot databases www.policeproductinsight.com POLICE POLICE POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT POLICE PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security International technologyWATCHERS' and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security
READ THE WISH LIST FULL STOP SMALL PRINT As debate around the tension Make the most POLICEof your ANPR POLICEThe pitfalls of public POLICEbetween surveillance and POLICE safety ICT contracts privacy grows, law enforcement PRODUCT INSIGHTdeployments PRODUCT INSIGHT PRODUCTmakes its case INSIGHT clear International technology and services for police and national security PRODUCT INSIGHT International technology and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security International technology and services for police and national security comment
Send letters to: [email protected]
Editor’s insight eCall benefits are worth working for he investigation potential of in-vehicle telematics technol- answers all the 999 calls made in the UK, is already handling a ogy has long been recognised by the police. In fact, within small number of telematics calls from such vehicles. Tthe UK, the police service has been engaged in a major Yet there are some emerging problems. A high percentage of project looking at how telematics in police vehicles will allow telematics alerts turn out to be false alarms. This is because they managers to increase the cost effectiveness and performance of can be accidentally activated manually by a driver by pushing a their large and expensive fleets. It will also allow forces to address red button on the dashboard. the important issue of bad driving by their own staff. Three police control rooms cannot currently receive telematics The EU’s mandate that all vehicles are fitted with telematics data from a crashed vehicle, because their systems need to be systems that automatically alert the emergency services when a upgraded. Meanwhile, BT is the middle of a major 999 call centre vehicle has been involved in a serious collision is fast approach- upgrade itself, so the EU’s added telematics deadline is an unwel- ing (see features page 24). Are the UK’s blue-light services ready come complication. There are also some funding issues too. to take advantage of the benefits of such a system? Nonetheless, this is an important tool. If a motorist on a remote The answer is a bit of a curate’s egg – good in parts. Several ve- road crashes and rolls into a ditch out of sight of other motorists hicle manufacturers who have large markets in the UK and Europe and is too seriously injured to make a 999 call, the onboard eCall are already building these systems into their vehicles as standard. system will automatically alert the emergency services to the Some are also providing a third-party call management service to incident and provide a GPS location. So, it could save lives. filter alerts to the relevant 999/112 service. And BT, which already Gary Mason
OCTOBER/NOVEMBERLE adv_EMEA.indd 1 2016 www.policeproductinsight.com09/06/16 16:40 5 News
UNITED KINGDOM UNITED KINGDOM Vulnerable callers protected by new National uniform supply contract handling system Procurement deal merce site, which allows officers to place orders as simply as they North Wales Police is using a promises to deliver would through any other online contact management system to savings in design shopping site. DHL says it will act help identify vulnerable callers. and delivery of as a neutral vendor, partnering Addressing caller vulnerabil- with the best and most cost-effi- ities is a key requirement for police uniforms to cient suppliers to deliver contin- North Wales Police and other England and Wales uous improvement. forces throughout the UK. Her Paul Butcher, of the MPS, said: Majesty’s Inspectorate of Con- “The benefits on a national scale stabulary (HMIC) has previously DHL Supply Chain has been will come through the adoption drawn attention to the need to awarded a seven year contract of additional forces or organisa- effectively protect vulnerable to deliver a national uniform tions, as well as the standardisa- people and support victims. managed service (NUMS) to tion of the new process. The new module builds upon the Metropolitan Police Service All forces will be able to use DHL says it will engage with North Wales Police’s existing (MPS) as part of a wider initiative the NUMS to buy uniforms the market in a fair and transpar- I/CAD system from Hexagon, an to supply other forces in the UK. ent manner and ensure that any incident management software Under the new contract, DHL Now, for the first time, NUMS pro- copyright or intellectual proper- suite. The new Hexagon system will design and deliver police vides a single national platform, ty is vested with customers. improves the collection of infor- uniforms and equipment, creat- enabling cost reductions and DHL has set up a team of spe- mation from the caller through ing product improvements and product improvements through cialists to lead the NUMS De- a configurable workflow that significant cost savings for the collaboration, scale efficiencies sign Council, which will improve supports the principle of “collect Met and providing similar op- and supplier consolidation. product quality and functional- once, use many times”. portunities to other forces and While the Met is the first ity. It has already identified areas It uses a specialised rule en- public sector bodies nationwide. adopter, NUMS was developed for improvement. gine that helps avoid double The requirement was for an as a national solution, and great- Paul Richardson, managing entry of information. It also auto- end-to-end service provider to er savings are projected as more director of specialist services at mates the search of data already design, procure and fulfil police forces and other public sector DHL Supply Chain, said: “This held by the force, reducing the uniform and equipment orders organisations come on stream. solution proves that best prac- time spent by the communica- right through to the end user. His- To provide an uninterrupted tice private sector experience tions operator on basic checking torically, UK police forces have supply of equipment, there is can be applied to the public sec- of intelligence. sourced products individually. a dedicated and secure e-com- tor to deliver real value.”
BRAZIL Tetrapol network covered Rio Olympic Games The Brazilian Federal Police were protection agencies was also equipped with a radio communi- available within the venues and cation system based on Tetrapol basement of Maracanã. technology during the Olympic This network also covered Games 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. stadiums in the cities of Brasília, Airbus Defence and Space São Paulo, Salvador, Belo Hori- supplied the Tetrapol system, zonte and Manaus, where foot- which was integrated with the ball matches would take place existing radio networks of other as part of the Olympics. Federal forces, allowing the Command Police officers based there are and Control Unit of the Rio de interconnected with the central Janeiro Public Safety Secretary Federal Police co-ordination unit to manage all communications of the games in Rio de Janeiro. between the various agencies. The radio system in Rio The existing network in Rio de consists of 11 Tetrapol base Janeiro had complete coverage stations with eight channels in all crucial locations, including supporting more than 2,000 the main venues, such as Ma- TPH700 terminals being used racanã and the Olympic village. simultaneously in more than 40 The Tetrapol service was available in the venues and airport Radio communication for public conversation groups.
6 www.policeproductinsight.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 News
UNITED KINGDOM AUSTRALIA Facial recognition Voyeur convicted thanks to system in custody cutting edge digital forensics suite wins award Investigators were able to link images to a specific camera
An innovative digital forensics device, it was found to contain covered from the hidden device, technique has been used by both images and videos of staff but there was no evidence to Surrey Police in securing the using the toilet. It had recorded support this theory. successful conviction of a man at multiple locations within the DC Andreas contacted Pro- for voyeurism. school, including another toilet. fessor Jessica Fridrich at Bing- Watch House identifies The technique, which has However, it appeared that noth- hamton University in New York, people brought in to custody previously only been used by ing further could be done with an expert in the electrical noise two other forces in securing the footage evidentially. produced by a camera’s digital The Northern Territory Police convictions for two child sex All of the victims captured by sensor when creating an image. (NTP) and NEC Australia have offence cases, is a scientific the device were identified and She extracted a “digital finger- won an iAward for their Watch method of proving that specif- spoken to. All lines of enquiry print” unique to the camera House facial recognition project. ic digital images recovered in were exhausted and the inves- sensor used to create the de- Watch House takes under the course of an investigation tigation stalled, with no suspect leted images and compared it 10 seconds to identify people come from a specific camera. identified. In February 2015, De- with the video footage from the brought into custody, which can The method can also be tective Constable Ben Andreas school toilets. They were found take hours using traditional sus- used to prove that images were asked staff to come forward to have been produced by the pect identification methods. taken by the same camera in with their suspicions about who same camera, with a chance of Facial recognition for the sys- cases where the camera is not might be responsible. Several error less than 1:10,000,000. tem is enabled by NEC’s Neo- recovered, and can also be ap- people named the same person The data was later ratified by Face technology, which can plied to video footage. and a man who worked at the further analysis carried out by match images from CCTV foot- In October 2014, a female school was subsequently arrest- Professor Chang-Tsun Li at War- age, body cameras or phones member of staff at a school ed. His house was searched and wick University. against police databases. in Surrey located a hidden re- electronic devices and media The suspect was charged with The system can also help cording device in a unisex staff were seized, including a mobile voyeurism and maintained a not identify people with medical is- toilet. The device was cleverly phone and memory card. guilty plea throughout multiple sues or who might pose a risk to concealed within a plastic pipe Investigators recovered a se- pre-trial hearings. However, af- themselves, the public or police. and attached alongside other ries of “deleted” files on the ter being confronted with the NTP estimates the technology plumbing to disguise it. memory card that appeared to findings from the digital foren- has saved 108,000 minutes of No physical evidence was be a series of stills from a vid- sics tests, he changed his plea to administration work, as well as recovered from the device or eo depicting a woman getting guilty and was sentenced to 10 1,800 hours of printing time, giv- location where it was found. changed in a bedroom. They months’ imprisonment at Guild- ing officers more time to spend After digitally examining the looked similar to the images re- ford Crown Court last month. away from the police station.
CANADA Ontario police force wins data analytics accolade The Halton Regional Police Ser- All police data is now pro- vice (HRPS) in Ontario has won cessed through the system. a Computerworld Data+ Editors’ Each action performed by of- Choice award for its use of data ficers is time-stamped and analytics to manage growing de- classified based on the nature mand on public safety services,. of the activity. The data is an- HRPS created a new analytics alysed to allow supervisors to unit to exploit data and make better determine how to allo- policing more efficient. Working cate teams and their resources. with Hexagon, the police depart- “[The system] provides the ment deployed the Intergraph raw materials our analysts turn Business Intelligence for Public into actionable insights that Safety system and built a data support the service,” said Jo- warehouse to consolidate data seph Glover, police analytics from various sources. co-ordinator at HRPS. All police department data goes into the intelligence system
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 www.policeproductinsight.com 7 News
EUROPE Anti-ransomware tool goes online An alliance of ground economy, and we are facing an increase in the num- public and private ber of new players and attacks organisations as a result. We can only change the situation if we co-ordinate offers a ray of our efforts to fight against ran- hope to victims of somware. The appearance of decryption tools is just the first ransomware step on this road. We expect this project to be extended, A technology tool containing and soon there will be many more than 160,000 digital more companies and law en- keys has been set up by the forcement agencies from other Dutch National Police, Europol, countries and regions fighting Intel Security and Kaspersky ransomware together”. Lab to help victims of cy- Wilbert Paulissen, director of ber crime. No More Ransom the national criminal investiga- (nomoreransom.org) is a new tion division of the National online portal aimed at helping Police of the Netherlands, said: victims to recover their data “The Dutch police cannot fight without having to pay ransom against cybercrime, and ran- to cybercriminals after their somware in particular, alone. systems have been attacked. This is a joint responsibility of Ransomware is a type of the police, the justice depart- malware that locks the vic- The No More Ransomware website provides keys that could ment, Europol, and ICT compa- tims’ computer or encrypts unlock files that have been encrypted by Shade ransomware nies, and requires a joint effort. their data, demanding they This is why I am very happy pay a ransom in order to re- the latest developed in June The Shade command and about the police’s collabora- gain control over the affected 2016 is for the Shade variant. control server used by crimi- tion with Intel Security and device or files. Shade is a ransomware-type nals to store keys for decryption Kaspersky Lab. Together, we Europol estimates that al- trojan that emerged in late was seized, and the keys were will do everything in our pow- most two-thirds of EU member 2014. The malware is spread shared with Kaspersky Lab and er to disturb criminals’ money states are conducting investi- via malicious websites and in- Intel Security. That helped to making schemes and return gations into this form of mal- fected email attachments. After create a special tool that victims files to their rightful owners ware attack. While the target is getting into the user’s system, can download from the No More without the latter having to often individual users’ devices, Shade encrypts files stored Ransom portal to potentially re- pay loads of money.” corporate and government on the machine and creates a trieve their data without paying Wil van Gemert, deputy di- networks are affected as well. .txt file containing the ransom the criminals. The tool contains rector operations at Europol, The number of victims is note and instructions from cy- more than 160,000 keys. said: “Ransomware has be- growing at an alarming rate, bercriminals on what to do to The project has been envi- come a dominant concern for according to Kaspersky Lab. It get user’s personal files back. sioned as a non-commercial ini- EU law enforcement. It is a says the number of users at- Shade uses a strong decryption tiative aimed at bringing public problem affecting citizens and tacked by crypto-ransomware algorithm for each encrypted and private institutions under business alike, computers and rose by 448 per cent in only file, with two random 256-bit the same umbrella. Due to the mobile devices, with criminals the past year, from 131,000 AES keys generated: one is used changing nature of ransomware, developing more sophisticated in 2014-2015 to 718,000 in to encrypt the file’s contents, with cybercriminals developing techniques to cause the high- 2015-2016. while the other is used to en- new variants on a regular basis, est impact on the victim’s data. Users of the portal can find crypt the file name. the portal is open to new part- Initiatives like the No More Ran- information on what ransom- Since 2014, Kaspersky Lab ners’ co-operation. som project shows that linking ware is, how it works and how and Intel Security say they Jornt van der Wiel, a secu- expertise and joining forces is to protect themselves. The prevented more than 27,000 rity researcher on the global the way to go in the successful project provides users with attempts to attack users with research and analysis team at fight against cybercrime. tools that may help them re- the Shade trojan. Most of the Kaspersky Lab, said: “The biggest “We expect to help many cover their data once it has infections occurred in Russia, problem with crypto-ransom- people to recover control over been locked by criminals. Ukraine, Germany, Austria and ware today is that when users their files, while raising aware- In its initial stage, the portal Kazakhstan. Shade activity was have precious data locked down, ness and educating the popu- contains four decryption tools also registered in France, the they readily pay criminals to get lation on how to maintain their for different types of malware, Czech Republic, Italy and US. it back. That boosts the under- devices clean from malware.”
8 www.policeproductinsight.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 INCORPORATING
The UK’s Flagship Event for a Global End-User Security Audience
TRANSPORT GOVERNMENT ENERGY MAJOR EVENTS COMMUNICATIONS UTILITIES FINANCE PRIVATE SECTOR
• 8000+ visitors from the public and private sector • 250+ exhibitors showcasing the latest security solutions • Live response demonstrations and technology workshops • 6 CPD certified free to attend conferences
GLOBAL COUNTER TRANSPORT MAJOR EVENTS CNI DESIGNING OUT PROTECTING TERRORISM SECURITY CONFERENCE CONFERENCE TERRORISM CROWDED PLACES CONFERENCE CONFERENCE CONFERENCE CONFERENCE
DESIGN | SECURE | RESPOND
FREE TO ATTEND REGISTER NOW
www.uksecurityexpo.com/PO News
UNITED STATES ‘Textalyser’ aims to catch motorists who have been texting and driving
Device to be used laws prohibiting drivers from at the roadside holding phones to their ear. Failure to hand over a phone will prove that a could lead to the suspension phone has been of a driver’s licence, similar to the consequences for refusing used illegally a breathalyser test. while driving Democratic assembly mem- ber Félix W Ortiz, who spon- sored the bipartisan Textalyzer Digital forensics extraction bill, said it would not give the company Cellebrite, is devel- police access to emails or texts, oping a device, dubbed the but it would give them a way to “textalyser”, which will enable catch people using their mo- police officers to detect mo- bile devices while driving. bile phone usage by the driver “We need something on the at the roadside, while main- It is illegal to hold a phone to your ear while driving in New York books where people’s behav- taining the privacy of data ior can change,” said Ortiz, stored on the device. being suspected of using their the operating system to check who backed the 2001 ban on Development is being driven phones while driving. for recent activity. driving and using hand-held by legislative moves in New An officer arriving at the scene The technology could de- devices. If the bill becomes York seeking to allow police to of a crash could also ask for the termine whether a driver had law “people are going to be use such a device against mo- phones of any drivers involved used the phone to text, email or more afraid to put their hands torists who are stopped after and use the device to tap into do anything else forbidden by on the cellphone.”
UNITED KINGDOM Advanced footprint measuring method developed An academic at Huddersfield As part of her research she the trainer, but I could also see University has developed an used an inkless paper system to that there was a distinct area of advanced system for measuring collect static and dynamic foot- wear on the outsole print, which footprints at crime scenes. It has prints from more than 60 volun- would have coincided with a been dubbed the Reel meth- teers. The footprints were digi- particular joint of the foot. This od and is beginning to be em- tised and their widths, lengths made me wonder if my burglar ployed by forensic podiatrists. and angles were measured us- had a certain pathology or prob- Dr Sarah Reel developed the ing freely available software. lem of the foot that could relate technique during her PhD stud- The result is a valid and reli- to the shoeprint.” ies. “Footprints are measured able approach to footprint mea- She decided to gain some for all sorts of purposes, but in surement, said Dr Reel, who has forensic expertise and was forensic science it is important therefore made a key contribu- mentored by the University of that you get the measurements tion to a forensic discipline that Huddersfield’s Professor Wesley right and that everybody is mea- has fascinated her since 1986, Vernon, who leads the Masters suring footprints to the same when she was a newly qualified course, shadowing him on many standard,” said Dr Reel. podiatrist working for the NHS. Dr Sarah Reel developed the high-profile cases including a She realised that forensic She was contacted by police technique during her PhD triple murder in Australia. Hav- podiatrists were using a wide who asked for help in identi- ing acquired her PhD she is now range of different measurement fying a body found in a canal, “Shortly after that, I was bur- being consulted in her own right techniques. Dr Reel reviewed where it had been submerged gled and the perpetrator left a as a forensic podiatrist, usually the various methods, identified for a long time, but an appliance clear shoeprint on the back door being supplied with digital im- the best elements and devel- attached to one of the cadaver’s where they had gained entry,” ages of footmarks from crime oped ways of using modern feet was a possible means of said Dr Reel. “Not only could you scenes and carrying out detailed technology to replicate them. identification. make out the size and make of analysis for the investigators.
10 www.policeproductinsight.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 News
FRANCE Mission critical radio networks put to the test Euro 2016 event during terrorism alert required special measures to co-ordinate law enforcement and security agencies
The Tetrapol radio networks Ru- bis and INPT have been used to co-ordinate operations between the police, gendarmerie, res- cue services and special forc- es during this summer’s Euro Agencies co-ordinated their actions via the mission-critical radio networks Rubis and INPT 2016 football tournament, at a time when the country was on a which were provided by Air- at strategically important sites, Thierry Becker, a vice-president heightened state of alert due to bus Defence and Space. Some such as police headquarters and for secure land communications terrorist attacks. 10,000 military troops from the stadia. These cells were inter- at Airbus Defence and Space, During the event, 42,000 po- Sentinelle operation for enhanc- connected over a virtual private said: “Our technology stood up lice officers, 30,000 gendarmes ing security in France were at network, so law enforcement to the test throughout the en- and 5,000 rescue service per- times also involved in providing agencies could exchange in- tire tournament and the security sonnel all worked towards se- public protection. formation in the usual manner, forces were able to communicate curing the stadiums and host Tactical cells were set up to inside and outside the grounds. easily against the complex back- cities. They co-ordinated their ensure communications for the This meant they could also stay drop of this event.” The infra- actions via the mission-critical special forces. Several fixed Tet- in permanent contact with the structure will play a decisive role radio networks Rubis and INPT, rapol repeaters were also placed crisis management team in Paris. in future events, he said.
UNITED STATES UNITED KINGDOM Chicago eyes body-worn video roll-out Apps deployed to The Chicago Police Department “With any new technology you Shakespeare District in 2015. support remote (CPD) plans on spending about roll out – and that’s not just with About 2,000 cameras are now officer working $8m on body-worn cameras for CPD – you have to train people in use in seven of the city’s 22 all frontline officers following a properly and give them a chance police districts. Johnson said Sussex Police is using mobile partial roll-out in 2015. to get acclimated to using the the department will use CPD’s technology to support remote CPD Police Superintendent new equipment,” he said. operating budget, and grant working. The services, which Eddie Johnson said all officers The CPD started piloting BWV funding totaling to buy about include the Pronto application on patrol will have the cameras cameras in the Northwest Side 5,000 additional cameras. suite from Airwave, will enable by the end of 2018. remote working and access to The Department of Justice the Sussex Police Records Man- has pushed the use BWV across agement System (Niche) as well the US following public con- as national policing systems and cerns about police use of force other police services. during a number of incidents in Loaded on to smart devices, which black people have been the Pronto suite of applications shot dead by officers. synchronises any information Supt Jones said federal of- captured on the frontline with ficials may eventually require back office systems. Chicago police to use camer- Sussex Police is one of 16 po- as so that a visual record of lice forces in Great Britain that each incident is available for has equipped frontline police post-shooting investigators. The body-worn cameras will come bundled with Tasers officers with this technology.
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 www.policeproductinsight.com 11 news analysis
United Kingdom Home Office calls for security upgrades to tackle car theft rise Criminals are becoming better at circumnavigating current vehicle security measures
Organised vehicle thieves have Police, for example, has seen ductions in car crime – due in For the report, the research- adapted to modern security the first rise in vehicle thefts large part to the development ers studied vehicle crime in technology, developing more in 20 years. The Home Office is of in-vehicle anti-theft technol- England and Wales, Scotland, sophisticated techniques to now calling for a “third wave” ogy – this rising trend may be the US, Canada, Australia, the combat keyless entry systems of vehicle security technology having a significant impact on Netherlands and Sweden and and immobilisers. to help combat the problem. vehicle crime figures. the spread of electronic im- A recent Home Office report The report suggests that, The report reveals that tech- mobilisers. While the devices reveals that the Metropolitan after years of successive re- nology to overcome immobil- first appeared between 1989 isers is now readily available and 1992 in all seven coun- broadening tracker use on the internet and is likely to tries, estimates suggest it took pass from more seasoned of- between eight and 14 years A tracking device won’t stop trackers capable of working fenders to casual, opportunis- for half the vehicle fleet to be- a car from being stolen, but even past signal jamming de- tic thieves, meaning that thefts come protected. During that they have proven to be high- vices, said: “Tracking devices are likely to increase beyond period, theft trends varied. ly effective in recovering sto- are only currently installed on existing levels. While vehicle crime fell in En- len vehicles. a minority of vehicles. There Despite this worrying devel- gland and Wales, it continued These systems work like an is a common misconception opment, the report, Reducing to rise until 2001 in Australia, electronic homing device. A that they are the preserve of criminal opportunity: vehicle where the initial effects of covert transmitter is hidden in prestige car owners, but there security and vehicle crime says improved security were most one of several dozen places are a range of competitive that electronic immobilisers likely overwhelmed by other around the vehicle. There is tracking products that suit a have remained a strong de- upward crime pressures until no visible aerial, so the thief broad range of vehicles, from terrent for more than two de- the pool of unprotected vehi- won’t even know it’s there. mopeds to classic cars. cades. It concludes that the cles became sufficiently small. Some systems can locate a “All car owners, particularly speed with which a new secu- The spread of electronic vehicle anywhere, even if it those in London, where vehi- rity measure spreads is almost immobilisers happened more has been hidden inside a ga- cle crime is now rising, need to as important as the effective- quickly in Europe and Australia rage or shipping container. invest in tracking technology ness of the device itself. High- than in the US or Canada, due Andy Barrs, a spokesman as a means of thwarting to- ly effective security may have partly to the presence and tim- for Tracker Network, which day’s car thieves and protect- little effect on overall crime if ing of legislation mandating supplies very-high frequency ing their assets.” it protects only a minority. the installation of electronic
12 www.policeproductinsight.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 immobilisers in new vehicles. The report says most vehi- UNTIED KINGDOM According to the report, this cle theft offenders operating creates a “natural experiment” today are more organised for determining the effective- criminals capable of bypass- Collaboration on science ness of the devices and the ing current security levels. timing of their impact. Once Tracking devices may be high- support boosts efficiency electronic immobilisers were ly effective, but they are only installed on around half the installed on a minority of vehi- Yorkshire and the Humber Sci- operations in the UK. Storm will vehicle fleet, all these coun- cles currently. entific Support Service (YHSSS) improve efficiency across the tries saw a decline in vehicle Anecdotal evidence from is using a command and control region, reducing travel times for thefts of around 40 per cent. officers working on vehicle system to support the first col- units and helping to improve the Analyses of theft rates by crime in the Metropolitan Po- laborative crime scene investi- quality of investigation opera- age of vehicle show that only lice suggests that some of- gation (CSI) operation in the UK. tions the forces say. vehicles manufactured from fenders routinely park a vehi- West Yorkshire Police is leading John Gilbody, head of opera- 1992 onwards had markedly cle in a safe location for a few this collaboration on behalf of tions for YHSSS, said: “By man- lower theft rates, even though days immediately after steal- the four police forces within aging and controlling all of our car alarms and central locking ing it to check it is not being Yorkshire and Humberside. teams from one central location began appearing in new mod- tracked. This would suggest Resources from West York- it will ensure that we are placing els in the mid-1980s. that boosting the number of shire, South Yorkshire, North our people in the right place at The fact that thefts increased vehicles with tracking devic- Yorkshire and Humberside will the right time. This will allow us so sharply in the early 1990s, es might reduce the rump of be managed from one central to maximise our use of resourc- as central locking, mechanical more organised vehicle theft command centre in Wakefield, es and improve the quality of immobilisers and car alarms that remains, the report con- West Yorkshire. our CSI services. Sopra Steria’s were spreading through the cludes. However, trackers may The software will receive, Storm system is integral to this.” vehicle fleet, also suggests also have limitations. Jamming manage and report on incidents, The forces estimate that mov- they were not the catalyst for devices, which prevent some and will ensure that the appro- ing from independent units to the initial drop in crime. stolen vehicles being tracked, priate resource is deployed to a regional asset will save them Even taking into account all are also available online. a crime scene. This 24-hour £11m. It also offers some -out the improving combinations The researchers say that de- service is the first time the sourcing opportunities, poten- of security devices, there was spite these setbacks current Storm system has been used tially becoming a national lead- still a large pool of unprotect- theft rates suggest this tech- to support collaborative CSI er in evidence gathering. ed vehicles during the 1990s nology is not being used by a and both Car Theft Index data large number of offenders. The and findings from the Crime report presents four possible Survey for England and Wales reasons for this: (CSEW) show that during the initial period of the vehicle theft decline, rates fell sharply “New theft in vehicles without security as well as in protected vehicles. methods may Overall then, the analysis suggests that vehicle securi- have only a ty – and electronic immobil- isers in particular – made an small impact important contribution to an already falling trend, rather than causing the initial crime on crime turn-around. The latest figures for the levels” Resources will be managed from a command centre in Wakefield year to June 2015 showed a three per cent increase in po- l There are simply fewer or planning, then it is possible spreads from more seasoned lice-recorded thefts of vehi- would-be offenders now – so that the new methods of theft offenders to more casual ones, cles in England and Wales, the even though the technology may have only a small impact thefts will start to rise.” first rise in two decades. exists, it is not being used. on crime levels,” it says. The report adds: “Presently it According to the report, ev- l The price, and the need to l Other security, such as CCTV is hard to know which of these idence shows that tools are buy the technology in advance or number-plate recognition explanations applies. Either available (and easy to buy may raise the bar sufficient- technology, continue to make way, but particularly in the case via the internet) which allow ly to deter many opportun- vehicle theft unattractive to of the fourth, there is a case for thieves to bypass current car ist car thieves. “If high crime more opportunistic offenders. manufacturers and others to be security. Recent research stud- levels of the past have been l Word simply has not spread thinking carefully about a ‘third ies have examined this phe- predominantly about less-or- yet. The report says that this wave’ of vehicle security to nomenon and concluded that ganised offenders exploiting is the most worrying option, ensure they stay ahead of the “electronic immobilisers are straightforward opportunities because “once the knowledge technological curve.” now prone to getting hacked”. that required little preparation of electronic compromise Gary Mason
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 www.policeproductinsight.com 13 tactical equipment Carbon pen cleanses delicate optics
A molecular carbon cleaning natural brush is used at one pen that has been used by end to remove any loose dust the military and recreational or dirt. Next, users twist the cap hunters for firearms scopes and off the other end and use the other optical equipment is now cleaning tip to remove any dirt, available on the law enforce- grease or fingerprints from the ment market. lens. Every time the user twists According to the develop- the cap back on, the carbon in ers, the LensPen is suitable the cleaning tip is recharged. for cleaning scopes and night Each pen will provide enough vision goggles of tactical units, material for more than 500 lenses on forensic photogra- cleanings, the developers say. phers’ cameras, and the lenses The company will be intro- on dashboard and body-worn ducing their new law enforce- video cameras. ment products at the Interna- The company says the device tional Association of Chiefs of cleans with a simple two-step Police (IACP) 2016 conference The carbon tip removes dirt, grease and fingerprints process. First, the retractable in San Diego on 15-18 October.
UAV countermeasures detection Anti-drone service protects events Germany selects security scanners
Rohde & Schwarz has been awarded a contract by the Pro- curement Office of the German Federal Ministry of the Interior for millimeter-wave security scanners. The three-year frame- work agreement encompasses 300 systems, plus accessories and services. The QPS200 scanners will be used by the federal police for security checks at airports throughout Germany. The scanners can also be used for security access control in other sensitive places, such as government ministries. The security scanner auto- Devices include a jamming system and net guns to capture unmanned aerial vehicles matically detects potentially dangerous objects under cloth- A service to help protect table drone jamming system area to look at the physical and ing or on the body, whether events and sensitive areas that uses electronic counter human terrain to identify likely they are rigid, flexible, fluid, from unwanted drones has measures and GPS disruption actors, launch locations and metallic or non-metallic, the been launched by Drone to stop drones in the air before approach routes. developers say. If the scanner Defence. The company says they can pose a threat. It also The company says potential reports an alarm, the location it has teams of counter-drone uses a Net Gun X1 device that applications for the service of the object is marked on a specialists who have the train- shoots a net to capture a drone include Premier League symbolic graphic of the body. ing and equipment to protect while in the air, causing it to fall football matches where it has It takes milliseconds to com- up to 1km of airspace around to the ground under control, or now become policy for match plete a scan. The target simply a location. ensnares it once it has landed. officials to suspend the game stands in front of the scanner Their equipment includes The service includes an if they see an unauthorised with their arms held slightly the Dynopis E1000MP por- assessment of the protected drone flying overhead. away from the body.
14 www.policeproductinsight.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 products
The Facewatch mobile app Officer equipment will be available for the Tactilon Dabat in 2017 A pair of tactical flashlights for police officers
Two bright, waterproof torch models designed for law en- forcement have been devel- oped by Peli. The 7600 provides up to 944 lumens of light in a 157mm long unit, while the 7100 provides up to 695 lumens in a 130mm long device. Each has five lighting modes to choose mobile devices from. Both have a USB re- chargeable lithium ion battery and an indicator to display the App helps to ID suspects current level of charge. A new application that will move and security personnel in recognition systems, according run on the Tactilon Dabat enterprises can share complex to the developers. radio has been designed to information and verify suspects “This method of investigation help police and security staff via Facewatch’s picture data- is unique, because Facewatch recognise watch list suspects. base in real time. apps on the Tactillon Dabat The Tactilon Dabat com- They can also take photos enhance crime analyses and bines a Tetra handheld radio or videos and exchange visual optimise the collaboration with a rugged smartphone data securely. among police officers and and camera in one device. It Facewatch provides intelli- various security services,” allows secure communication gence about criminals on an says Nick Koiza, global head of in standard Tetra networks independent web-platform. Us- applications at Facewatch. and in an LTE environment. ers can look up data from watch The Facewatch mobile app The developers say this lists, facial recognition tools will be available for the Tactilon means police officers on the and automatic number plate Dabat in 2017. cyber-security Jellyhead offers adaptive cyber-security suite Emergency services tech- making it more difficult for nology company j3llyh34d malware to evade detection. It 1ndu5tr135 (Jellyhead Indus- will also detect the slow, unau- tries) has signed a deal with thorised external extraction of Chemring Technology Solu- information from the network, tions to become a reseller for even when sophisticated ob- Perception Cyber Security. fuscation techniques are used. Perception was originally Simon Twigg, managing developed for the UK Gov- director at Jellyhead, said: ernment and the developers “Perception is a revolution- claim it is the world’s first ary approach to dealing with bio-inspired network security advanced threats, such as ze- system. Jellyhead provides cy- ro-day vulnerabilities, targeted ber security services to several vectors and black market British police and fire services. rootkits, as well as information Perception has no rigid leakage... Perception is the “rules-based” architecture and first security solution we have Perception is the first network security product inspired adapts to the network’s chang- seen that gives the good guys by organic systems, according to its developers ing profile to automatically a sustainable advantage over identify malicious activity, the bad guys.”
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 www.policeproductinsight.com 15 RADIO SILENCE With the UK’s Emergency Services Network in danger of falling short, Gary Mason looks at the problems facing the most advanced first responder network in the world
ast year, an article in Police Product Insight asked wheth- er the Emergency Services Network (ESN) programme was in serious danger of failing to deliver on a number of important fronts. Some 12 Lmonths later, a major progress report on the project by the National Audit Office (NAO) has cast similar doubts about the deadlines set for the switchover from the Airwave system – it described the £5.2bn programme as “high risk”. The main focus of concern for our article last August was the notion that a job-critical emergency services commu- nications system could move seamlessly from a bespoke network, which guaran- teed coverage and service levels for all three blue-light services in the UK, to one essentially supplied by commercial network providers. A key point was that the new system would need to somehow fill the coverage gaps in commercial 3G and 4G networks. Two years ago, the Home Office scrapped plans for a national extension to mobile services to improve areas with a poor mobile signal, as it believes these will be covered by commitments by the UK’s four big mobile network operators: BT’s EE, Vodafone, O2 and Three. Initially, areas of the UK with poor or non-existent mobile coverage that were not expected to be covered by the main ESN contract – called Lot 3 – were expect- ed to be guaranteed coverage by an extra “extension to mobile services” contract or Lot 4.
16 www.policeproductinsight.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 communications
Mike Penning, then minister for policing, programme. Current predictions suggest upgrades need to be developed for ESN to crime, criminal justice and victims, said: “On sufficient coverage should be available by match Airwave’s current functionality. The an enhanced commercial network, the emer- September 2017. most significant of these are push-to-talk gency services will have priority over other The NAO report also notes that, as of July and group-call applications that would al- users, which will avoid the need for separate 2016, there are no devices, such as mobile low ESN to emulate radio-like functionality and expensive mobile radio spectrum. Cov- phones, that will work with the ESN, as it of talking to control rooms and each other. erage for the emergency services will at least uses software standards only just coming Software to do this exists, but requires up- match what is currently provided.” into use. These devices are needed for the grades to fully meet the ESN requirements. The NAO report published in September end of 2016 to allow for testing on the The NAO report says: “Delivery by the has cast serious doubts on whether that network. The programme says it is working programme against these technical chal- promise can be met within the timeframes with manufacturers to achieve this. lenges is by no means certain and while agreed for the switchover. It says Airwave The report says: “We are unconvinced that total failure seems unlikely there remains a is expensive, but questions whether the the programme needed to adopt ESN to get risk that the programme will not be able to existing marketplace networks and devices the data capabilities the emergency services overcome these challenges for the cost or can realistically fill the gap. The report says: need. During our field visits we observed timetable proposed.” “The existing system, provided by Airwave, extensive use of mobile-data services by works, but at £1,300 per device is expen- the emergency services using existing 4G Switchover challenges sive. The need to save money and exit a dif- contracts. In most cases, the use of mobile The transition to the ESN is due to start in ficult commercial relationship with Airwave data today is through dedicated devices, September 2017. However, programme has led the government to try and move to meaning personnel face the operational in- officials have agreed with representative an approach not yet used nationwide any- convenience of having to carry two devices. organisations and the devolved govern- where in the world and carries significant However, some dual-mode devices capable ments in Scotland and Wales that they will implementation risk. ESN is the right direc- of running both Airwave and mobile data not force the emergency services to move tion strategically, but we are concerned that currently exist and programme officials are to ESN. Instead they can stay on Airwave the risks with getting there are under rated considering the need for more as a contin- until they agree ESN is “at least as good” as in the Home Office and elsewhere.” gency during the transition to ESN. the service provided by Airwave. The NAO commissioned Kable to look This may prove to be a difficult standard at emergency services networks being “ESN is the to agree, the report concludes. “Current developed in Australia, Germany, South users of Airwave told us that ensuring the Korea and the United States. It concludes coverage and resilience of the EE network that ESN is the most advanced programme right direction matches Airwave was their main concern in the world at the moment. It is one of only with moving to ESN. There were indications two globally looking to run its emergency strategically, in these discussions that users may be very communications with a major commercial demanding of ESN; expecting an almost network component. The other, South but the risks of exact match of where is covered compared Korea, has considerably higher 4G coverage with Airwave. The ESN contracts do not than the EE network on which ESN will rely. getting there are specify which areas of the country are to South Korea is also planning to use dedi- be covered, instead replicating the overall cated radio spectrum, rather than spectrum underrated” coverage standard of the Airwave contract. shared with commercial users, as in ESN. This means there may be specific locations Australia is planning to use commercial “In the long term, emergency services covered by the Airwave network not cov- 4G services for data first and move to using communications would move to a mo- ered by the ESN network. Since payments it for voice later, once the technology is bile-data solution as the security and func- to suppliers commence once contractual more mature. An option like that adopted in tionality of mobile data improved. However, standards have been met, there is a risk of Australia was examined by the UK pro- at the moment the standards that underpin payments being due before the emergency gramme, but not shortlisted as, compared mobile data have only recently started to services agree that ESN is ready.” to ESN, they considered it to be either too look at embedding the requirements of The report notes the emergency services expensive, if commercial 4G coverage was emergency service communications and and other Airwave users were concerned extended into rural areas, or not sufficiently are not yet fully developed. That standards that ESN will not replicate all of Airwave’s beneficial if coverage was not extended. are evolving to cover these requirements functionality. It is unclear, for example, is partly a response to lobbying by the UK whether it will meet the security needs of Coverage and devices government and other jurisdictions.” counter-terrorism and covert operatives, EE’s existing 4G network must grow to The NAO report says the ESN end-to-end who often use direct device-to-device match Airwave’s. EE is already increasing its solution will require more points of network voice calling. Motorola Solutions’ bid 4G network coverage to meet contractual integration than the solution under Airwave states that this functionality will initially and wider operating requirements but, as due to the greater number of suppliers require a work-around, such as using a Tetra of July 2016, it only reaches 70 per cent involved. All these networks must work to- Airwave-compliant device, and will not be of the UK. Airwave’s was measured at 97 gether, have sufficient capacity to meet the available on ESN for some time. per cent in December 2015. As well as needs of the emergency services and be Programme officials expect the emergen- tailored solutions for London Underground reliable enough for voice communications. cy services will be considerably worse off and air-to-ground communication with When using a commercial communica- if the transition is not completed to time police helicopters and aircraft, elements of tions network in this way, the emergency and that this will be an incentive against EE’s network must be made more resilient services must be given priority over other unduly delaying the process. However, this and capacity improved to match Airwave’s users. The software and standards for doing is uncertain as the costs and benefits of current functionality. This work is shared this exist, but have not yet been deployed delay fall beyond 2020 – a period for which between EE and projects managed by the on the EE network. This and other software budgets have not been set.
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 www.policeproductinsight.com 17 The ESN will replace the dedi- In line with current government policy, cated radio-based infrastructure the programme is replacing the prime-con- used under Airwave with a mo- tractor arrangement in place with Air- bile-data (4G) based technology wave (where government contracts with Airwave, which provides some services and sub-contracts other elements) with multiple direct commercial relationships. The ESN commercial arrangements will in- clude at least seven frameworks, contracts or grant agreements put in place by the programme, as well as a number of locally sourced arrangements. The structure is designed to bring commercial benefits and make it easier to respond to trends in the ICT and telecommunications market, such as 5G. It achieves this by having multiple suppliers on shorter contracts, each of which can be changed if a cheaper or more innovative supplier becomes available. It is also designed to reduce the risk of being locked-into a single supplier and manage the overall cost by having the programme bear the risk of integrating separate com- ponents. The NAO report concludes: “The commercial arrangements should make the achievement of these benefits easier than under Airwave, although it is too early to as- sess whether they can actually be realised.” The NAO notes that the way the pro- gramme has put in place the commercial structure means that the emergency services do not have commercial levers over the full service they are receiving. For example, their contract with EE will give them very limited direct recourse for poor service. They will also have no contract with Motorola Solutions or the provider of the control room interface into ESN, despite the importance of these suppliers in the end-to-end service. The report concludes: “This structure means that the opera- tional responsibilities of the emergency services have been partly separated from the commercial responsibility held by the programme. In 2014, we looked at contract management in the Ministry of Justice and found that operational and commercial re- sponsibility had been separated. We found that this had led to instances where oper- ational managers felt unable to influence performance so that it met their needs.” The report notes that the price for build- ing, testing and early operation of ESN was fixed in December 2015, before detailed designs were agreed. As a result, the risk that costs need to rise due to unforeseen technical challenges has been largely passed to suppliers. The report concludes: “Programme officials have done this as they consider that suppliers are best able to bear this risk. While this may be true if the risk materialises on a small scale, we consider that these arrangements could be detrimental to the overall commercial relationship if technical challenges prove
difficult to overcome, resulting in high cost istockphoto
18 www.policeproductinsight.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 communications
increases or long delays. A large num- programme plans for EE to undertake limit- mobile-data (4G) based technology using ber of programmes, including the Home ed drive-testing, just sufficient to assure the infrastructure shared with other users. Office’s own e-borders programme, have programme that EE’s prediction models are The programme awarded the three main demonstrated that suppliers are often accurate. Some of the emergency services ESN contracts in 2015 to Kellogg Brown not well placed to bear technical design told the NAO this approach was unlikely to and Root (KBR), Motorola Solutions and risk in complex ICT programmes. This is satisfy them and they would undertake full EE. Some related contracts were awarded particularly acute for ESN, where Motorola drive-testing before agreeing to transition. in June 2016, but others have yet to be Solutions and EE are each delivering part The programme’s main route for engag- awarded. In February 2016, Motorola Solu- of the overall solution and only had eight ing with the emergency services is through tions bought Airwave, from an infrastructure hours of discussions with each other prior a team of business change leaders. These fund managed by the Macquarie Group. The to contract signature.” people are often seconded from the emer- current plan is that the emergency services gency services to the programme. will start moving on to the new network in user Workshops Views on engagement were mixed. The September 2017 and are due to complete For the report, the NAO ran a number of emergency services said engagement on this process in December 2019. workshops with programme staff and user requirements in 2013 had been good, As of June 2016, 328,000 handheld, emergency services personnel, includ- with the programme holding an extensive road-vehicle or helicopter devices were ing police representatives drawn from range of workshops to identify the features in use on the Airwave network across 412 the communications police user group, they needed from a new system. Represen- public sector organisations. In addition to where police users meet regularly to tatives of the Scottish emergency services the emergency services, users include the give feedback on their current and future and fire and ambulance services in England National Crime Agency, Highways En- communications systems. During these and Wales have been generally content gland, Transport Scotland, HM Revenue & workshops, it emerged that delivering ESN with engagement since then. However, po- Customs, local authorities, the Maritime and on time was consistently seen as one of the lice forces in England and Wales said there Coastguard Agency and mountain rescue highest risks for the programme. Staff said, was room for improvement. services. Airwave provides a mainly voice- for example, that the 21 months currently Since early 2016 the programme has based communication service, but can also allowed for designing, building and testing engaged with police representatives to carry limited (narrowband) data. ESN contains no contingency. explain how the benefits will work for users. The NAO report concludes that emer- There is a difference of opinion between gency services have benefited from very the programme and the emergency ser- “Suppliers are good availability of the Airwave network. vices over whether the transition phase can In the six years between April 2010 and be delivered on time. Programme officials March 2016, the Airwave network has been consider the 27 months currently planned not well placed available on average 99.9 per cent of the for transitioning to ESN includes contin- time. The contractual target is for the net- gency. This typically allows 12 months for a to bear technical work to be available 99.74 per cent of the region to transfer, but programme officials time in a month. Since April 2010, Airwave think it should only take 10 months. They design risk in such has only missed this target once. This was also believe the plan can be compressed. in December 2015 when performance At the moment, two-thirds of regions will programmes” dropped to 99.68 per cent due to flooding be transitioning at peak in June, July and in northern England. The Airwave network is October 2018. The officials think this could However, some emergency services contin- considerably more resilient in design than be compressed so the peak is either higher ued to tell the NAO that, despite the strong commercial networks. and/or longer. savings case for ESN, they may not be International comparison study work by By contrast, the emergency services con- better off. This is because the savings are in Kable, a specialist ICT research company, sider the current plans for the transitioning future years, for which funding allocations suggests that the current capabilities of to be very tight, giving little opportunity to have not yet been announced. Furthermore, Airwave exceed that in all but two of the learn lessons from early transition activity some forces were concerned that funding other G20 countries. and limited time overall to plan. Some for the transition was insufficient to meet Based on the full business case, the ESN emergency services representatives told the costs they would incur. programme expects to spend, over the 17 the NAO this could reduce the benefit years from April 2015 to March 2032, of ESN, as they would have to replace reasons for the esn £5.2bn. Of this, £1.4bn (28 per cent) is on Airwave in a like-for-like manner, instead of In 2011, the government set up the running down the Airwave contract. ESN exploring how best to use the new capa- Emergency Services Mobile Communi- is expected to cost £3.8bn over 17 years, bilities. More generally, the compression in cations Programme to look at options for of which £1.2bn will be spent on building timeframes means that transition is getting replacing the Airwave service when the and transitioning to ESN in the five years to close to being a “big-bang” implementa- contract ends – for police this is scheduled March 2020. After that time, the programme tion, which has been problematic in other to be May 2020. The programme is run by expects ESN to cost £800 per device per IT-enabled programmes. the Home Office, but is co-funded by the year and therefore represent a significant The plans to test ESN coverage were of Department of Health, Scottish Govern- saving over Airwave. particular concern to the emergency ser- ment and Welsh Government. Until April The emergency services are expected to vices. Airwave Solutions, when launching 2016, when responsibility for fire services directly contribute £354m towards the cost its service, was required to test-drive the transferred to the Home Office, it was also of the mobile services contracts currently network, testing the voice quality and signal co-funded by the Department for Commu- being provided by EE. They are also expect- strength approximately every 25 metres. nities and Local Government. ed to incur an additional £825m on their It also undertook walk-testing in pedes- In December 2013, the programme de- other areas of responsibility. In total they trianised and some indoor areas and has cided to replace the dedicated radio-based are therefore expected to pay £1.2bn, or
istockphoto repeated the process since. By contrast, the infrastructure used under Airwave with a around a third of the total cost of ESN. l
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 www.policeproductinsight.com 19 Finger on the pulse Kevin Kearley reviews the next generation of latent fingerprint technology, which has speeded up the forensic process and significantly reduced its carbon footprint
he next generation of UK low the exhibits to be examined. The purge designed and manufac- is typically achieved using carbon filters, tured fuming chambers for but these are expensive and damaging to fingerprinting are leading the environment. the way with their speed, John Haugh, a leading British designer, quality and efficiency. has developed the Cyanoacrylate Water Cyanoacrylate (superglue) fuming has Wash System to address this shortcoming. Tlong been the preferred method for devel- The first generation chamber for police use oping and preserving fingerprints in foren- was shipped to France in December 2015 sics. When the cyanoacrylate is heated in a where it has undergone lengthy and vigor- sealed chamber with the required humidity ous testing. Positive feedback preceeded and circulation, the vapours adhere to an initial procurement of eight units, which latent fingerprints on the exhibits. have been distributed across France, includ- Cyanoacrylate vapour can be extremely ing in Lyon, Marseille and Bordeaux. harmful if inhaled, therefore the chambers One of the most significant improve- are equipped to “purge” the air following a ments of this design is the cycle time. The vapour cycle, making it safe to open and al- French facility’s first tests by its specialist
How the cyanoacrylate method works
The cyanoacrylate fuming method (often called the super glue organic compounds such as amino acids, glucose, lactic acid, method) of developing latent fingerprints has proven to be an peptides, ammonia, riboflavin, and isoagglutinogens, as well effective tool for professional investigators, and the quality of as inorganic chemicals such as potassium, sodium, carbon its results has made it a popular one. trioxide, and chlorine. The super glue method was first employed by the Criminal The basic concept behind all of the chemical techniques is Identification Division of the Japanese National Police Agency to apply something that will chemically react with one of the in 1978. Shortly thereafter, it was brought to the United States constituent chemicals of latent fingerprints to the area sus- by the US Army Criminal Investigation Command and Bureau pected of containing such a fingerprint. The resulting reaction of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms laboratories. will give all present latent fingerprints a new chemical com- Investigators normally need a portable, permanent copy position. This will make the latent fingerprints easily rendered of fingerprints to use as exhibits. A photograph can general- visible, so they can then be photographed. ly fulfill this need. Of the three types of fingerprints, visible Super glue reacts with the traces of amino acids, fatty acids fingerprints can be photographed directly, and impression fin- and proteins in the latent fingerprint, as well as the moisture gerprints can usually be photographed under special lighting in the air, to produce a visible, sticky white material that forms conditions. It is only the invisible latent fingerprints that are along the ridges of the fingerprint. The final result is an image difficult to photograph. They must first be made visible. of the entire latent fingerprint. This image can be photo- There are three groups of techniques generally used for graphed directly, or after further enhancement. making latent fingerprints visible: physical, chemical, and To enable such a reaction to take place, the cyanoacry- instrumental. The vast majority of methods can be categorised late must be in its gaseous form. The surfaces that are to be into one of these groups, or a combination of them. Cyanoac- checked for latent fingerprints are placed in an airtight tank rylate fuming is a chemical technique. along with a small heater. A few drops of liquid super glue are Latent fingerprints are composed of several chemicals placed into a tiny, open container, and the container is placed exuded through the pores in the fingertips and are left on on top of the heater inside the tank. The tank is then carefully virtually every object touched. The primary component of sealed, and the heater activated. latent fingerprints is sweat. This is mostly water, and will dry Once the super glue reaches its boiling point, it will create a after a fairly short period of time. The other components of concentration of gaseous cyanoacrylate. If any latent finger- latent fingerprints are primarily solid, however, and can remain prints exist anywhere inside the tank, they will eventually be on a surface for a much longer period of time. These include exposed to the gaseous cyanoacrylate. istockphoto
20 www.policeproductinsight.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 forensics
Cyanoacrylate fuming is a chemical technique to make latent fingerprints visible for photographing
fingerprint staff were completed in just 19 minutes. The cycle is split into three “Cyanoacrylate vapour can be sections: raising the humidity level, which takes around 2 minutes; the contact time, in which the cyanoacrylate is heated to extremely harmful if inhaled” fuming point and reveals the fingerprint(s), was stopped at 7 minutes; and the water is currently being undertaken by the Korean at its Merseyside showroom. The chamber wash purge made the chamber completely National Police University as well as the can be purchased as a bench top solution safe to open within 10 minutes. Chinese Institute of Security and Defence. (CA-60), floor standing (CA-90) or larger Instead of a carbon filter, the new (CA-150) for greater number of exhibits or time saved design uses air circulation and a water larger items for treatment. This vastly reduced the times of their cur- filtration system. After a set amount of Defsec Global is also running a recycling rent chambers, allowing for a much greater cycles, the water is simply drained away programme, removing old unwanted cham- throughput of exhibits. This time saving and replaced with fresh tap water before bers and laboratory equipment and offers could help to reduce any backlogs. It can the next cycle can be started. There are the new chamber with various payment also cut back on the time spent by special- no carbon filters used, negating one of options, including rental. l ist staff watching the chamber, choosing the major costs involved in the finger- when to stop the contact time of the cycle print fuming process. Kevin Kearley is managing director of when the desired amount of cyanoacrylate The chamber is distributed by DefSec E-voked. More information about the Water had developed any fingerprints. Global, which plans on having the cham- Wash Chamber as well as other UK manufac- The Water Wash Chamber has also been ber fully tested and installed in the UK. A tured speacilist laborotary equipment can be supplied to China and Korea, where testing demonstration unit is available for testing found at www.defsec.global
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 www.policeproductinsight.com 21 Proving that someone is who they say they are online is a significant challenge to retailers and governments globally istockphoto
22 www.policeproductinsight.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 biometrics Identity crisis As face-to-face encounters are replaced by virtual ones and online shopping with a smartphone becomes our preferred way to buy things, the task of verifying someone’s identity is more critical than ever to our financial security, writes David Poole
dentity and verification (IDV) are a need to comply with know-your-custom- Biometrics could be part of the solution. two closely linked concepts that er and anti-money laundering legislation, It has the advantage of convenience, but are playing an increasingly critical require much greater levels of IDV. as biometric systems are seldom inde- role in consumers’ day-to-day lives. The problem is that IDV is more challeng- pendently verified, they should not be Identification systems use a trusted ing for remote transactions due to a lack of relied upon solely. However, they can form ledger, process or token to identify a face-to-face interaction. part of a multi-factor, authentication pro- person or entity. Verification is answering cess to create a stronger IDV system. Ithe question: “Is this person who they say IDV in the Digital Age they are?” From providing our passports Remote IDV is nothing new. Consumers Biometrics when entering a country to showing proof have carried out transactions by mail or Biometrics use human characteristics for of address and identity when applying for a telephone for decades. However, this IDV. There are a variety of different forms financial product or collecting a parcel from historically relied on proof such as address being currently trialled. the post office, it’s something we are all and date of birth. Such information is now • Voice recognition can verify someone familiar with in our everyday lives. readily available online, so they can no in around 15 seconds, which is quicker These identification and verification longer be considered sufficiently robust than a typical password process. Questions methods rely on presenting a physical doc- for e-commerce. This meant new methods remain about the accuracy of this method. ument, which is a tried and tested method What if someone is in a crowded room or that works for face-to-face encounters. But restaurant? Could the technology cancel with digital commerce, such interactions are “Identity and out the background noise? becoming increasingly less common and • Facial recognition also known as these IDV methods are no longer practical. verification are “selfie” authentication. For this to work, a photograph must be of sufficient quality, The Digital Economy more challenging which isn’t always guaranteed. The internet has changed how we shop • Fingerprint recognition is widely used. forever. With an estimated 1.61 billion for remote It’s trusted, it’s easy, but it is not perfect. online shoppers globally, and £52.25bn Fingerprints can be copied by fraudsters spent via e-commerce in the UK in 2015, transactions” using easily obtained chemicals. the past 15 years have seen it grow into a well-established, even dominant, method of IDV were required, with customers and Where to now? for business and commerce. businesses both having to adapt to the new IDV is part of our lives. While there might Mobile (unsecured touchscreen devic- business environment. be complaints about the inconvenience es, such as mobile phones and tablets) is The most obvious example of this is that obtrusive security plays in digital rapidly winning the race to become the the password, which comes with its own commerce, it is still an improvement on dominant e-commerce platform. The ability drawbacks. Having to regularly come up how things used to be. The good news is to shop and carry out transactions on the with a secure, eight-character password that it is going to become even more suited go is now something we almost take for that includes a capital letter, a symbol and a to mobile e-commerce platforms. Despite granted. Yet all this convenience presents a number can be a challenge for consumers. some issues, biometrics will become an challenge when managing IDV online. This is central to a fundamental problem integral part of IDV, most likely as part of Digital transactions all require IDV to with digital IDV: when it is time consuming a wider, multifactor process incorporating a greater or lesser extent. Online shop- and challenging, it makes digital commerce factors such as personal identification num- ping often requires a password and email less convenient and discourages shoppers bers (PIN) to give further security. l
istockphoto address, while financial products, bound by from buying things. David Poole is head of growth for MYPINPAD
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 www.policeproductinsight.com 23 Close call
Vehicle telematics systems that automatically contact the emergency services in the event of an accident could save countless lives, but Gary Mason finds that an EU initiative to broaden their use could leave emergency control rooms struggling to cope with the volume of data
n April 2015, the European Parliament be receiving via the new technology? Are UK, which deal with around 80,000 calls voted in favour of regulation requiring they even set up to receive this data at the daily. Operators filter out those that are all new cars to be equipped with eCall moment? Some are already dealing with accidentally dialed, then forward the genu- telematics technology from April 2018. this data, because certain manufacturers al- ine ones to the police, fire and ambulance This means that in the event of a serious ready build in to their vehicles as standard. control rooms. There are currently 158 local accident, eCall automatically dials 112 These automatic accident alert systems are 999 service control rooms that these calls – Europe’s single emergency number. It triggered when an airbag goes off, or can be are forwarded to. Icommunicates the vehicle’s exact location activated by the driver/passenger via a red Medland says BT can already generate to the emergency services, the time of button on the dashboard. Some manufac- quite a lot of location data from calls via its incident and the direction of travel, even if turers – such as Vauxhall – have also intro- location hub. Data can be populated with the driver is unconscious or unable to make duced an EU-wide call handling operation names and addresses from fixed line 999 a phone call. An eCall can also be triggered so the alerts generated by their customers’ callers. They also get coverage from mobile by pushing a button in the car. According to vehicles are patched through to the blue- networks and, increasingly, handset loca- the developers, the system will only trans- light services in case of an emergency. tion from smartphones. Android phones will mit the data that is absolutely necessary in forward GPS quality location information case of an accident. Information only leaves the british experience when a 999 call is made, for example. the car in the event of a severe collision and Last month, a conference was held in the “This means that when we put a voice is not stored any longer than necessary. UK to look at the implications of eCall and call through to police, fire, ambulance or The commission estimates that, once the the telematics systems already in operation. the coastguard they can do a data look-up system is fully implemented, eCall could John Medland, policy manager for 112/999 to our location hub and then pull back that save hundreds of lives every year and help at BT, said control rooms need to be ready location information,” he says. “So, when injured people quicker, because police, fire to test their systems to receive eCall by a call taker answers the call, they have a and ambulance services will receive accu- October of next year. BT answers all the 999 name and address, or they got the mobile rate status and location data more quickly calls made in the UK via its public safety location. Increasingly, they have got GPS than before. However, technology standards answering point (PSAP) set-up. Sometimes quality handset location as well.” need to be agreed so each manufacturer called a “public-safety access point”, these Because some car manufacturers already can transmit data to emergency control are call centres responsible for answering have automated crash alert data systems, rooms in a standard format. calls to an emergency telephone number the BT call centres are already handling How are the emergency services pre- for police, fire and ambulance services. some eCall type alerts. Medland says quite paring for the potentially huge increase in All calls – fixed, mobile or voice – are a high number of false alerts are generated telematics data that their control rooms will directed to one of BT’s six call centres in the by these systems, particularly via the red
24 www.policeproductinsight.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 command and control
The eCall initiative calls for all vehicles to be equipped with an emergency telematics system from April 2018 onwards button on the vehicle dashboard. “The at- available to the emergency services via and uses a voice recording to pass on the traction of these big red buttons, especially BT’s location hub. “When we hand over this location data. According to Medland, this is if you have got children, is a bit of a worry information to the police, fire or ambu- awkward to manage, but the PSAPs are able – so you do get false calls.” lance we make it clear to them that this is a to do so. Quite a lot of the data is received BT’s 999 centres have been handling telematics call,” says Medland. via Bosch – a third-party service provider in-vehicle calls since 2000, but in very Even with the telematics technology that currently does not forward data to BT small volumes. Some of these come via there are cases of poor mobile coverage automatically – but passes it on verbally. a third-party service provider run by the vehicle manufacturer. For example, Peugot Citroen provides this service to foreign driv- “We are filtering out about 70 per cent ers of their vehicles in the UK. Vauxhall’s On Star service is another example. In this case, of vehicle system alerts due to the red the filtering of voice calls to see if they are genuine or not is carried out inititally by the button being pushed by mistake” service provider before it is routed to BT. When the button is pressed in a tech- nology-equipped vehicle or the air bag is where the voice call doesn’t come through, BT only connect about 30 per cent of all deployed, a voice call is generated through but the data does via an SMS message. the telematics crash messages it receives the network to one of BT’s six centres. Currently, most of the telematics crash to the blue-light services. “We are filtering This is not a 112 or 999 call – a different calls are carried over the Vodaphone out about 70 per cent due to the red button number is used to generate the call – but it network in the UK. But the SIM cards used being pushed by mistake,” he says. “We is routed to the PSAP emergency call queue in the vehicles are generally overseas now know the location of quite a few car and goes to specific positions within that SIMs which Medland says can provide “an showrooms in the UK, because customers PSAP. As well as the voice call, an automatic interesting experience” for the call handlers are playing around with the buttons.” communication via an SMS or data message in the PSAPs and in the police, fire and BT PSAPs are now looking at the EU’s is sent from the vehicle, which goes to the ambulance control rooms. eCall deadline. Under this system, the emergency data service provider compa- There are a few other technology mobile networks will have to provide the ny. It is then sent using an agreed format variants. The telematics system operated required functionality. These 112 calls will to BT’s telematics data servers. Here, the by Ford, for example, connects the on- have to have a different flag within the information from the voice call and the data board system to the owner’s smartphone mobile network to distinguish whether they message is married together and made via Bluetooth. It will generate a 999 call are generated automatically or manually.
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 www.policeproductinsight.com 25 They then need to be able to forward those environment. That is a major change for us, He says there is also an urgent need to calls to a suitably equipped PSAP, which so the timing of eCall is not great, because select a PSAP to provide the eCall service. must be able to decode the information. we are effectively being asked to develop “It would makes some sense to use the BT This is not straightforward. BT says it is this on our legacy system at the same time PSAP that is already handling telematics not currently equipped to handle eCall as we are developing the new one.” calls and those via third-party service pro- envisaged by the European Parliament. This means that BT is looking to develop, viders,” he says. “We already have the data PSAPs will also have to be prepared to in the short to medium term, a “tactical links to the police, fire and ambulance ser- interact with a large number of third-party solution” so it can cope with eCall telemat- vices for a start. The mobile networks would service providers – many more than was ics data, but only in low volumes. then have to agree standards for forwarding first envisaged when the eCall system was Another point that has been overlooked the eCall messages to us.” This would be in early development. he says is that “somebody is going to have effectively a brand new emergency code – The Brexit vote has clearly put the scope to pay us” to do that. “We have to cover the 991 – on the blue-light network. of eCall in the UK into doubt, but howev- cost for our 999 call centres – we cannot er the negotiations pan out, the 999 call be subsidised by other parts of BT.” The Short-term solution centre community are certain they will still current thinking is that these costs would “If the government decides that it needs more than a short-term patch-up system to handle large volumes of telematics calls, “Car manufacturers should be talking this would involve fitting specialised tech- nology into industrial scale call handling operations,” he says. to the mobile communications networks Also, on a strategic level, the govern- ment’s 999 liaison committee would need about how this will be provided” to update its telematics memorandum of understanding (MoU) on data standards. have to deal with significant numbers of be covered by the mobile network provid- These would need to be tested and then foreign drivers in the UK whose vehicles are ers, but no guarantees have been received the BT PSAP would need to be accredited to equipped with the automatic alert system. on this vital point. handle that data under the EU legislation. “Call volumes will be relatively slow in While the EU has mandated eCall, there is There would also need to be a “capability growing, but there is no doubt they will still a requirement from the UK government audit” within the blue-light control rooms grow,” says Medland. BT has already been to provide a strategic steer and even to give to make sure they could all receive the working to understand what this will mean. a clear indication that the service will need eCall information. This would include some PSAP technology must be upgraded to to be provided in the UK. call taker training to update their telematics receive the data that meets the system’s “That request, I believe, needs to go system knowledge and understanding. standards. Call centres will need new the UK’s mobile network providers,” says According to Medland, there are currently technology capable of receiving the auto- Medland. “Car manufacturers should also three police control rooms who can’t han- matically generated data over the mobile be talking to the mobile networks about dle the telematics data passed on by the BT network and decoding it. This could take up how this will be provided. They will need to PSAPs. He is unsure why this is, although to 20 seconds on average for each call. decide whether there will be a third-party there have been big turnovers of staff at According to Medland, this is a serious service provider involved. All these things the centres. “This is surprising really, as it is technological challenge. The other compli- are happening, but they are not particularly a bit of a no brainer,” he says. “All the other cation for BT is that is at the start of a major visible in the UK up until recently.” control rooms in the UK understand the overhaul of the technology in its PSAP con- Ofcom has started to remind mobile benefits of having location data in front of trol rooms. “In the next two or three years, networks that there is a requirement to pro- you. It saves time and cuts down the stress all our technology will be modernised,” vide the service and have called for a big of the call takers and customers, so not to he says. “We are going from the circuit meeting at the end of September involving have it is an unreasonable lack of capability
istockphoto switched control room environment to an IP all the networks to look at their obligations. in my view.” l
26 www.policeproductinsight.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016
AXON THE GLOBAL LEADER IN BODY-WORN CAMERAS
AXON FLEX AXON BODY Adaptive, Point of Simple, Single-Unit View Camera Camera
uk.EVIDENCE.com
15-Taser-31 AxonInternationAdFinal.indd 1 4/30/15 10:10 AM