The Western Australian Police Force has spent the last two years modernizing and overhauling its IT systems. This initiative is now bolstered by new ICT services and expertise.On the iTnews Podcast, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Marc Smith discussed the process, pointing out that the Force is awarding one of Australia’s largest ICT contracts.
The Force is dividing two long standing ICT service agreements into six distinct areas. These include help desk, disaster recovery, cyber security, asset management, infrastructure services, end user computing, and application development for Microsoft and Oracle systems.
Smith emphasized the extensive preparation leading up to the tender’s release. He added that raising technology’s position was critical for better supporting both frontline officers and community safety. He identified technology as a major enabler in attaining these objectives.
Internally, the technology function has been redesigned to better meet the needs of officers. Smith also suggested a shift away from self-contained Agile projects and toward the classic plan-build-run methodology. This adjustment, which is reflected in the tender’s work divisions, will focus on efficient operations.
Smith explained that maintaining day-to-day operations, or “keeping the lights on,” is crucial. At the same time, they want to maximize resources to encourage innovation. He underlined that half of the job is managing present operations and the other half is planning for future growth. This equilibrium enables teams to adopt new technology and move on to new projects.
Smith identified three key innovation areas for the Force’s IT strategy. First, because their work is so vital, they must invest in resilience and cyber security. Second, boosting police field capabilities means increasing mobility options, integrating data into vehicles, and using body-worn cameras for advanced analytics. Finally, ethical information exchange between agencies is a fundamental goal, ensuring that data reaches the appropriate people at the right time.