Business Case

 

 

Accessibility

WATS Mobile is a web based system available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

No software needs to be installed on user’s machines except a standard internet browser such as Internet Explorer.

Access can be given to court staff, administrators and even Police and Bailiff Companies if required.

The system has comprehensive user management facilities giving different features and levels of access to each user.

The system has been designed so that it can be used from both desktop machines and hand held computers such as PDAs and Blackberries.

  

Security

The system has an SSL Certificate and is encrypted.

A username and password is required for log in. To maintain security the system will force users to change their password every 60 days.

WATS Mobile also implements IP address checking therefore users can only log in from specified terminals e.g. Libra network terminals.

Any failed log ins or an attempted log in from a PC where their IP address has not been verified, results in an email being immediately sent to the Specialist Computing support team which would then be followed up by making contact with the court.

The system has a comprehensive audit trail detailing all log ins, data upload and extraction, and records when users create, complete or allocate a warrant.

 

Maintenance

The system is maintained by Specialist Computing.

Maintenance includes software updates and depending upon conditions, new  and extended features

  

General Features

Data can be imported into the system in both MCS and the Libra Equis file formats.

Users can extract specified data into an Excel Spreadsheet.

Users have the ability to complete warrants and even record payments on a warrant.

Notes and warning signals can be added to defendants.

The system also contains a diary facility where enforcement officers can record defendant visits for each day and the outcome of these visits e.g. payment taken, arrested, letter left. Officers can also record details such as mileage, holiday, sick leave and start and finish time. Statistics on these details can also be extracted from the system.

 

Searching & Listing

WATS Mobile has an advanced search page where users can produce basic statistics and lists.

Users can search on a combination of the following:

·         Surname,

·         Warrant type

·         Warrant value

·         Warrant number

·         Court code

·         Date of Issue

·         Allocated To

·         Address

 

Lists can be produced by court area or even street name.

 

Standard lists such as streets with more than 5 warrants, defendants with the highest number of warrants or highest total value of warrants are shown on the summary screen.

 

  

Data

Within a county most court areas have separate databases. WATS Mobile allows for a centralised database combining all defendants and warrants for a county.

As a result the system can also accommodate regional or national databases if required.

WATS Mobile combines defendants with exact Surname, Forename and Date Of Birth matches, identifying those defendants with warrants outstanding in more than one court area with possible multiple addresses.

The system can pick up from the Libra extract file all of the following warrant types:  Enforcement Bail and No Bail warrants, Distress Warrants and Committal Warrants. Warrants such as Pre court or community breach warrants that are not in this file can be manually added to the system.

Users have the ability to add notes (e.g. alternative addresses) and warning signals (e.g. Violent, attend in pairs) to a defendant’s record. These details will stay with this defendant even if their warrants are executed. Should the defendant months later be issued with a new warrant the system will match the defendant and the notes and warning signals will reappear.

The system can allocate warrants to enforcement officers and bailiff companies both manually and automatically. This can be done by area, postcode, warrant type or even value of warrant.

 

WATS Mobile Assistant

The WATS Mobile Assistant is a Microsoft Access based system that contains additional desktop facilities to enhance WATS Mobile.

By extracting data from WATS Mobile and importing it into the assistant users can produce lists of data in their specified format.

Letters to defendants and warrant frontsheets can also be produced and managed by individual court areas.

Statistics such as warrants issued and completed during a month for each CEO can be obtained from WATS Mobile Assistant.

It should be noted that all WATS Mobile Assistant features will be built into the main WATS Mobile system in the future.

  

Business Usage

Enforcement Officers can view and edit the information from both desktop and hand held computers.

 

Statistics can be automatically prepared monthly by Specialist Computing and delivered to the relevant courts.

 

The Police and Bailiff companies can have access and update the system instantly when warrants are cancelled or payments are made aiding communication between the courts, police and bailiffs.

 

Officer’s can enter a visit history on their diaries therefore should an officer go missing the last place they visited can be quickly found.

 

The availability of the information through secure internet access allows for specific targeting and strategies to be implemented. One such use is the availability of the system to Police officers monitoring passengers through an airport. Another is the checking of defendants in custody who are being considered for conditional cautioning.

 

Areas with the most warrants can be targeted or any particular road, postcode or town as the system can produce all warrants by an entered address.

 

 

Specialist Computing

Over 20 years experience in consultancy and software development for law enforcement

 

WATS Mobile is a further development based on Specialist Computing’s Warrant Tracking database which has been available in the Libra Catalogue for several years and has been implemented in 43 court locations.

 

Other developments to aid the Court Service include Management Information, Legal Aid, Statistical collection, DCA Email statistics collection, Business Performance Statistical systems, Magistrates Rota, Means Forms and Display Screen Software.

 

  

(c) Specialist Computing 2008