Essex Police are ready to launch the Athena integrated information technology system at the end of March. The £32m IT system delivered by Northgate Public Services will be shared by seven forces over the next year.

The Athena programme has been the largest investment in police technology over the last decade and will allow information to be held on one easily searchable database, with the hope of preventing loopholes such as criminals, held by one police force, being missed by another.

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