Next Generation Forensics Infrastructure

Labnet 2 is a critical part of the new digital forensics operating model. Labnet 2 will enable large volumes of data to be processed efficiently and accurately. Without this technology, tens of thousands of officer hours will be used to trawl through data that could be done automatically. Labnet 2 will be developed incrementally and will re-use and enhance technology from the existing Labnet 1 infrastructure.

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is asked to:

1. Approve capital funding of £4.011m for the Network Solution for connecting the kiosks, hubs, and Lambeth facility.

2. Approve revenue funding of £0.178m and ongoing revenue of £0.629m p.a. for the Network Solution for connecting the kiosks, hubs, and Lambeth facility.

3. Approve capital funding of £3.231m for the enhancements to the Labnet 1 infrastructure that supports processing of more complex data sets and cases (known as Tier 2) at 8 hub locations across London.

4. Approve revenue funding of £0.072m and ongoing revenue of £0.689m p.a. for the enhancements to the Labnet 1 infrastructure that supports processing of more complex data sets and cases (known as Tier 2) at 8 hub locations across London.

5. Approve capital funding of £0.12m for a Digital Evidence Store Options Paper to determine the best value for money approach for building and supporting the main repository for digital evidence.

6. Note the capital items above have an overall aggregated shortfall of £0.862m against the 2017/18 Capital Plan. A virement from an historical line item in the capital plan for radio refurbishments that have already been completed will cover this shortfall. The project revenue and ongoing revenue requirements has been built into the Digital Policing budgets.

1. Introduction and background

1.1 The Labnet project forms part of new operating model for digital forensics and is being delivered as part of the One Met Model. This paper is an extension of the Outline Business Case (OBC) originally submitted in July 2015 and the OBC Update approved in September 2016.

1.2 Labnet 2 is a critical part of the new digital forensics operating model. It will allow large volumes of data to be processed efficiently and accurately. The new model will also support decision making in terms of whether a crime has been committed, provide evidence to support a criminal charge and support other MPS digital data recovery and intelligence activities.

2. Issues for consideration

2.1. The new digital forensics operating model is a transformation project that enables front line investigators to recover data from digital devices and media across all crime investigated by the MPS.

2.2. See the Part 2 for details.

3. Financial Comments

3.1 The cost of funding Labnet 2 will funded from existing resources.

3.2 Further details are contained in the Part 2.

4. Legal Comments

4.1. There are no legal implications arising from this report.

5. Equality Comments

5.1. Therefore are no direct equality or diversity implications arising from this report.

6. Background/supporting papers

6.1. Briefing note.