Police forces give themselves extra firepower in war on gun crime

The four forces have bought a single firearms deployment and training records system, known as Chronicle, so that they can work together more effectively. It means firearms officers across the region will be trained to the same standards to avoid confusion over procedure when two forces work together.

There will also be a joint record of the numbers of firearms-trained staff and the threats posed by guns in each area, rather than each force knowing only about its own resources. It is the latest move by West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and Humberside Police to share services to save money and work more effectively.

Prior to the announcement the four forces had already appointed a regional Chief Firearms Instructor, Inspector Carl Dennell of West Yorkshire Police, and North Yorkshire Assistant Chief Constable Iain Spittal as firearms lead.

Mr Spittal said: “Having a sound database of firearms information and intelligence will enable a better understanding of the firearms threats and risks across Yorkshire and the Humber, improve the way we audit officer training and planning, and enhance our operational response.

“It will provide instant access to accurate capability data which, prior to Chronicle, was something we were unable to do and whilst the IT systems in place before now were sufficient for force purposes, they did not “talk” to one another which made sharing firearms resources very difficult.”

Russell Osborne, from JML Software, the company that developed and supplied Chronicle to Policing Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “We are very pleased to be able to work with the forces and support this important collaborative project.

“Chronicle provides instant access to joint capacity and capability data, providing accurate assessment of strategic threat across the region.”