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Helping to protect and serve our communities is at the heart of what we do.
Sopra Steria supports most of the UK’s police forces, helping control rooms and frontline officers serve nearly 40 million people. Our market-leading Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) software, STORM, has set the standard in emergency response for nearly
30 years, handling over 6 million calls annually. Trusted by over 70% of UK police forces and deployed internationally, STORM ensures reliability in critical situations.
With a deep understanding of public safety needs, we design solutions that combine the best technologies to enhance efficiency and security. Our long-standing relationships, such as our partnership with one of the UK’s most innovative forces, Humberside
Police Force, - demonstrates our commitment to advancing policing. Together, we have driven new technology and processes that enable better outcomes for citizens, communities and forces on the front line of public safety.
As part of Humberside Police’s response to identified Areas for Improvement, arising from the His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) PEEL Inspection, Sopra Steria provided assistance to improve
response times by maximising the functionality of our STORM Command and Control Solution.
Humberside Police have increased their Grade 1 attendance times significantly from 42.5% in Sept 23 to 97% in Sept 24. There is no doubt that Sopra Steria has contributed to this journey.
The challenge
Humberside Police faced challenges in effectively tracking officers due to underutilisation of radio device data. Airwave status changes were not being received, meaning real-time updates on officer availability were unreliable. Additionally, there was
limited visual representation of officers on mapping systems, making it difficult to coordinate resources effectively.
This lack of visibility posed a serious safety risk, as emergency activations did not display officer locations, delaying critical response times. Officers had to verbally confirm their locations, leading to increased radio traffic and inefficiencies
in communication. Without accurate mapping display, control rooms were unable to identify the nearest available resource to an incident, impacting response times and operational effectiveness.
These issues also resulted in inaccurate statistics, making it difficult to assess resource deployment and performance. As a result, Humberside Police had limited confidence in their Map Viewer function, restricting their ability to make data-driven decisions
and effectively manage their teams in the field.
Solution
Sopra Steria implemented the Patrol Planning module, but initial issues arose with resource display on the mapping and radio affiliate. These challenges were outside our scope of responsibility; however, we proactively addressed and resolved them, demonstrating
our commitment to delivering a successful solution.
Recognising the issues, we made key configuration changes to ensure all radios were correctly affiliated and displayed in the Map Viewer. Now, every radio with a valid GPS fix is visible, providing Humberside Police with real-time location data for improved
officer tracking, enhanced situational awareness, and more effective resource deployment.
Results
Thanks to these enhancements, the control room now has full visibility of officers, enabling safer and more efficient monitoring of officers and staff positions. The Airwave interface automatically updates officer statuses to ‘At scene’ during
incidents, reducing manual input, increasing operational awareness, and improving response times.
Additionally, resource allocation and management have been significantly optimised, ensuring the right officers are deployed where they
are needed most.
By working collaboratively, Sopra Steria and Humberside Police have strengthened operational efficiency within the control room while enhancing officer safety on the front line. These improvements provide Humberside Police with a reliable
system to monitor and manage resources effectively, and ensure the public receive the best possible service.
“Our FCR staff lacked confidence in our mapping system and became increasingly frustrated with its useability. Through working with Sopra Steria and our internal team to problem solve the situation, we have made some significant changes which will benefit everyone within the Force but more importantly, the victims that need us the most.” Emma Jepson, FCR Incident Manager at Humberside Police.
We’re proud to support police forces in their critical mission to keep communities safe by delivering expert solutions to overcome challenges and maximise operational effectiveness.
For more information about STORM’s Patrol Planning module, watch our video from Alex Wood, Public Safety Group Account Manager at Sopra Steria, and former Chief Inspector. Alex explains how targeted, data-driven policing strategies can help reduce crime and improve resource efficiency.