XN000022-1989-01-14 — Page 7

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 1989

POLICE UPDATING COMPUTER SYSTEM

* *

OF

THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE FORCE IS то LAUNCH A SERIES COMPUTERISATION PROGRAMMES WHICH WILL FURTHER ENHANCE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY AND RESPONSE TIME TO EMERGENCIES.

THE FIRST IN THE PIPELINE WILL BE THE REPLACEMENT OF EXISTING POLICE OPERATIONAL NOMINAL INDEX COMPUTER SYSTEM (PONICS) THE CRIMINAL RECORDS BUREAU.

THE IN

OTHER PROJECTS UNDER PLANNING INCLUDE THE COMPUTERISATION OF THE MAJOR INCIDENT INVESTIGATION AND DISASTER SUPPORT SYSTEM AND A PILOT STUDY ON THE FEASIBILITY OF INSTALLING A STATION INFORMATION COMMUNAL SYSTEM.

THE FINANCE COMMITTEE HAS APPROVED A TOTAL EXPENDITURE OF $42.5 MILLION, PHASED OVER A PERIOD OF TWO YEARS, FOR A REPLACEMENT PONICS AND ITS ASSOCIATED HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE.

RECORDS BUREAU

SYSTEM WHICH

PONICS, WHICH HAS BEEN USED BY THE CRIMINAL ROUND-THE-CLOCK SINCE APRIL 1983, [S AN ON-LINE MAINTAINS INFORMATION AND SUPPORT ENQUIRIES ON PERSONS CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS, PERSONS OF INTEREST TO INTELLIGENCE BUREAU AND THE NARCOTICS BUREAU, AND MISSING PERSONS.

WITH PREVIOUS THE CRIMINAL AND WANTED

NUMEROUS BUREAUX AND UNITS WITHIN THE FORCE HAVE ACCESS TO PONICS THROUGH THE 58 VISUAL DISPLAY TERMINALS WHICH THE SYSTEM SUPPORTS,

THE BULK ENQUIRIES, HOWEVER, COME FROM THE FOUR REGIONAL COMMAND AND CONTROL CENTRES WHICH BEAT OFFICERS, PERFORMING SEARCH OPERATIONS, CONTACT BY RADIO FOR VERIFICATION IDENTIFICATION OF SUBJECTS,

STOP AND OF THE

PONICS PROVIDES A RESPONSE WITHIN SECONDS AND HAS PROVED TO A VITAL OPERATIONAL SUPPORT SYSTEM AND INTEGRAL ΤΟ POLICE WORK PREVENTION AND DETECTION OF CRIME.

BE ON

THE SYSTEM AT PRESENT IN USE HAS BECOME UNRELIABLE AND FREQUENT FAILURES HAVE RESULTED IN THE INCREASING UNAVAILABILITY OF THE SYSTEM TO USERS.

FURTHERMORE, IT IS EXPECTED THAT PONICS WILL NEED TO EXPAND то COPE WITH THE GROWTH IN TRANSACTION VOLUMES AND TO INTERFACE IN FUTURE WITH OTHER SYSTEM CURRENTLY UNDER DEVELOPMENT. THE PRESENT CONFIGURATION CANNOT HANDLE BOTH THE PROJECTED VOLUME OF TRANSACTIONS OR THE INTERFACE REQUIREMENTS.

THE PROPOSED