21st February 2017 - Of Computers and Crimes

Thought for the day:" Who wants to learn Roman numerals? I for one."

Well - February 21st 1746 was the start of the Jacobite Rising...  Thought I would share that with you.
Also the day in 1981 that Peter Sutcliffe - the Yorkshire Ripper was finally arrested - a day that led to many changes in the way Murders and Serious Crimes were investigate. It led to HOLMES - one of the finest acronyms for a computer system in my view - HOME OFFICE LARGE MAJOR ENQUIRY SYSTEM. I would have been proud to have come up with that one !

It changed my life in the Police. As the owner of a Spectrum 48K machine - which incidentally managed to work out the available dates for recall to court for not guilty pleas - something they were still struggling with as I left the job 25 years later, I remember being called into the Chief Constable's office to be asked if I could write a DOR for a set of computers to include this "fancy new crime system that we do not really need as we do not get that many murders!".

Having no idea what a DOR was (Detailed Operational Requirement it turned out to be) I happily trotted off to find myself delving into the technical aspects of policing for the next couple of years - managed a promotion and commendation for my efforts.

Never managed to shake off the label of "the Computer whizz kid" even though I did nothing in the technical field for the last 15 years of my service, but I can certainly look back on the 23 systems I brought into play - 9 of them written by myself, and the impact upon the policing of the country.

And so to the picture of the day ...

Hmm - hands seem to be in the wrong place !!
Must be somewhere else in the world !
But a noteable clock - getting keyed up !
Cheers -