Summary of interview with NN4

First in this subsection an overview of the interviewee’s background will be given. Thereafter the summary of the transcript will be divided into three parts; the planning- and decision making process (which include answers to question 1 and 2), information systems (which include answers to question, 3 – 6), and problems and successes in new systems (which include answers to question 7).

Background of interviewee

Interviewee NN4 is educated at the National Police School (Politiskolen) in Norway and has since then occupied different positions within the Norwegian Police. During the years after finishing the education at the National Police School NN4 has also taken different courses in law at university level, analysis course (at New Scotland Yard) and management course at the Norwegian Police University College (Politihøgskolen). NN4 has mainly worked with international investigation and intelligence in cooperation with international partners e.g. at Interpol, Oslo. Since 1994 NN4 has been employed by Kripos. NN4 has also had some administrative responsibilities, e.g. development of requirement specifications for a new national criminal intelligence system.

The planning- and decision making process

With large systems, like a system for criminal intelligence, the planning phase begins with the need for a system. An appropriate system does not exist, or the systems are too old to be useful because new technology is available, or the criminality has changed demanding a better system. The planning starts with making a survey of what criminal intelligence is; type of information, what does criminal intelligence produce, what does criminal intelligence need. Solutions are discussed and so is the implementation. The decision process starts with a decision in favour of a new system from the National Police Directorate (Politidirektoratet) and then a work group is established. Members of this group are experts in ICT (employees at PDMT), the expert users at the police districts and the special agencies. The Police Directorate (Politidirektoratet) participates with one or two members in leading positions. New smaller information systems also have its origin in a need for new systems. However, the planning, decision process and implementation are performed by the management at Kripos (if several departments use the systems) or the management in each department.

Software development for the Police, as a government department, are a niche product in the society, particularly in the Norwegian society, and some matters must be attended to; one must have documentation regarding presentation of evidence, one must know the police terms, and one must have a relation to the cycle of processing criminal cases which are not seen in other companies, except maybe in some law firms and The Customs and Excise Authorities (Tollvesenet). Attention to the cycle of processing criminal cases is probably the most important.

Information systems

Criminal intelligence analysis can be performed in many different cases and depending of type of case varies in its nature. All police systems are used (both national and international), and in addition information is gathered from telephone companies, banks, post offices and other governmental directories. Systems that are most used are the intelligence systems (Krimsys and Usys), a case system called BL (Basisløsninger) where all information

produced by the civil servants in a case is recorded, and PO (Politi Operativt System) which is the orderly book for the operative task within the police. Even though information recorded in PO is not utilised at the moment of recording it can be useful in later investigations. With proper training the investigator will be able to collect data from most of the police’ systems, but collecting data from other systems requires permissions from the court. Information exchange between the police districts and Kripos are done both in writing, by telephone, e- mail etc. Both the police districts and Kripos have access to an intranet where information is posted. The system BL (Basisløsninger) is now in the process of being updated so that all police districts and Kripos can use the same system. Information exchange between Kripos and the judicial system is mainly performed through paper documents.

The technological platform for police systems is fixed, and each system being developed must use this technology.

Problems and successes in new systems

It has been a problem that not enough attention was paid to the big picture when information systems were planned and implemented. New systems were isolated solutions.

“A typical example is the journal at Kripos which is not electronically coordinated with the other computer solutions […] a system exist where data must be recorded, but it is not nationally available. That was a problem, now I can say that this really turned out to be a success because now it is recognised that […] the purpose of implementing new systems is trying to integrate existing solutions.”

“Typisk er journalsystemet i Kripos som ikke er elektronisk samkjørt med de andre dataløsningene […] man har et system man bare må putte data inn i og som ikke er nasjonalt tilgjengelig. Det var et problem, nå kan jeg si at det egentlig er snudd til en suksess for nå ser man nettopp dette at […] poengene med å innføre nye systemer er å prøve å slå sammen eksisterende løsninger.”

A stolen car used to be recorded in three different systems, but now it is recorded only once because integration between these three systems is now in place. Also an international

advertisement of loss in international police records is integrated.