Informatics

Background

Informatics Directorate, located at RCMP Headquarters Ottawa, was created in the early 1970s to provide automated data services and manual record services to the RCMP and other police agencies.

Three main automated data service functions were established which are still effective today:

• Operational data services to support RCMP programs under Federal Statues, Executive Orders and Contracts for Police Service with various provincial governments.

• Operational data services to support the general police community under the Canadian Police Services activity of the Force. This includes the development and maintenance of computer systems for the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC).

• Administrative data services to support the Administrative activity of the Force.

EDP Systems

The RCMP's current Electronic Data Processing (EDP) systems cover a wide variety of operational and administrative applications. Operational systems exist to handle crime scene occurrences, intelligence gathering, criminal cases, investigations and tactical logistics. Administrative systems, which often tie in with the operational systems, include personnel management, financial management and inventory control. The EDP systems area of Informatics Directorate is responsible for a constantly changing and expanding mix of hardware and software involving mainframe computers, personal computers, laptop computers and mobile terminals.

Communications

The communications systems of the Force consist of a variety of land-based and satellite networks. There are over 1,000 radio base stations, more that 8,000 mobile radios and over 9,000 portable radios in active use. A large integrated network connects division workstations all across Canada to the mainframe site in Ottawa.

Information Management

The information management responsibilities of the directorate include: maintaining the official records of the RCMP, creating publications and data collection forms, administering electronic mail and providing informatics training. Active records are gathered and stored according to records policy. Obsolete records are destroyed and valuable historical records are preserved in government archives.

Directives are published to inform employees about Force administrative/operational policy and procedures. Operations guides and user guides are published to instruct employees how to perform specific informatics functions. A Force-wide electronic mail system is centrally administered. Informatics training is handled by training staff in Informatics Directorate and field divisions' local informatics units.

Regional Informatics

In addition to the Informatics personnel working in Informatics Directorate at RCMP Headquarters in Ottawa, there are Informatics personnel spread throughout the Force at a regional level to provide local Informatics services in field divisions.