Invest in new, more effective technology, Metropolitan Police told

Crime is higher than it should be because of outdated and ineffective technology being used by the police, a new report says today.

In the latest study critical of antiquated police systems across the country, the London Assembly said the Metropolitan Police spent large amounts of time and money maintaining old IT systems rather than investing in new projects.

It added: “The Met has been paying over the odds for technology for years – much of which has gone on maintaining a collection of outdated and increasingly inefficient systems. This has got to change. Every other person has a smartphone, yet the Met are only just starting to look at rolling out similar tools.”

The Met said: “We are committed to making best possible use of technology as this is crucial for providing a modern policing service.”