The Violent and Sex Offenders Register (ViSOR) was built by the Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO) in partnership with police and probation professionals. Home Office Minister Fiona Mactaggart said: "ViSOR provides online, for the first time, complete and up-to-date information on the country's most dangerous offenders. It will help to reduce re-offending, protect the public and save police time.
"Hours of police officers' time - that would have been spent retrieving information on offenders from around the country - is already being saved. ViSOR is a big step forward for public protection. The introduction of ViSOR means that, for example, intelligence entered by a probation officer in the north of the country will become immediately searchable by a police officer in the south.
"The database includes a photographic library of the offender over time, including distinguishing marks and tattoos, which will make it harder for an individual to change appearance and re-emerge undetected in another part of the country. Its search and retrieval capabilities will also make it a powerful tool in solving major crimes such as abductions, assaults and murders.
"ViSOR will cut bureaucracy for police and probation officers and is a valuable addition to the resources available to all those who work in public protection."
PITO's Director of Operational Services, Tom McArthur, said: "ViSOR's rollout to the police service is a significant development in the management of violent and sex offenders. From the moment that Lancashire Constabulary came forward with this business idea and a prototype system, we have involved police and probation professionals in the design and development of the final ViSOR system. That is why ViSOR fits their needs and the system will continue to develop and grow with their input."
Liz Hill, Senior Responsible Owner for ViSOR in the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) said: "NOMS sees ViSOR as an important tool to support the work of Prison and Probation staff, who manage some of the most serious offenders.
"For the first time, staff in the Police, the Probation Service, and the Prison service will be able to share intelligence and risk assessment information instantly via a common national database. As a result, offenders will be monitored and managed more effectively, and the public will be better protected."
Terry Grange, ACPO lead on violent crime and Chief Constable of Dyfed Powys Police, said: "VISOR was asked for by the police and probation officers managing sex offenders; it was created for them and primarily by them with the expertise of PITO and police IT professionals. It provides the police service in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland an ability to gather, use and pass information and intelligence which did not exist.
"It is a major advance in our ability to manage dangerous people and the combined efforts of police and probation will be greatly enhanced by it. As the chair of the project I am immensely proud of what we have all achieved."
ViSOR was developed and built by the Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO). It responds to the direction set by the 2000 Criminal Justice and Court Services Act which placed joint responsibility on police and probation to risk assess and manage sex, violent and dangerous offenders.
Development started in January 2003 and the system was rolled out to all police forces in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland by May 2005. ViSOR will be rolled out across NOMS in early 2006.
Quelle: Publictechnology, 22.08.2005
