Durham Police speeds up public information requests using Microsoft technology

Durham Police was struggling to efficiently process and manage public information requests, specifically under Clare’s Law and Sarah’s Law, which aim to safeguard vulnerable individuals. Handling hundreds of applications per month involved outdated, manual workflows using Excel spreadsheets, Word documents, and emails. This chaotic and unmanageable process frequently resulted in breaches of the 28-day disclosure guideline, putting victims' safety at risk and drawing censure from regulators. The force needed a streamlined solution to ensure timely safeguarding decisions, improve accuracy, and free up police time for other critical frontline duties.

Durham Police partnered with Robiquity to overhaul its case management processes. Together with Microsoft, they developed bespoke systems for managing Clare’s Law, Sarah’s Law, and Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) applications, using Microsoft’s Power Platform. The application design focused on automation and efficiency—incorporating dashboards for real-time tracking, secure data access management, and user-friendly interfaces for better workflow optimisation. The solution was implemented in just four months, underscoring the flexibility and scalability of Microsoft technology.

Durham Police now averages a 17-day turnaround for disclosure requests—well below the 28-day guideline. The automated process saves 15 minutes per application, providing valuable efficiency gains for teams processing hundreds of applications monthly. Case managers now benefit from dashboards offering real-time insights into the status of each application, ensuring no information or case gets overlooked. This solution has freed up valuable police time for frontline duties and increased the safety of victims. Durham Police plans to build on this foundation by exploring automation of the research stage and applying AI-driven solutions. This will help speed up processes further, enabling the handling of even more cases, faster. Durham Police’s modernisation efforts pave the way for faster safeguarding decisions nationwide, proving that technology can play a vital role in protecting vulnerable individuals.