SECURE Police Reporting and Occurrence System (SPROS)
Executive summary
We live in an increasingly interconnected, complex and often dangerous world. The increase in terrorist acts and the threat of rapid, globalized spread of infectious disease all challenge our society and the sense of security that is so critical to our quality of life. Canadians understand this new reality. They know that the threats to security and public safety are not just the problems other nations face.
In combating terrorism and other matters of national security, it is vital that information collected by law enforcement is accessible in "real time" and that the information systems which are used to collect the data are reliable and sustainable over the long term. Additionally, the systems must have the capacity to present a consolidated view of all information relative to an entity within a short time span. This is critical to effectively assess and identify matters not only of a criminal nature, but of those that impact national security.
The RCMP, in its objective to be an effective intelligence-led organization, has the responsibility to ensure that sensitive information collected is afforded the highest level of security. Furthermore, stringent controls must be in place to ensure that only "need to know, right to know" access be provided.
The evolution of police information systems now enables a technical and functional solution that meets the requirements of a modern police organization and guarantees sustainability and reliability over the long term. The RCMP has responded to the need for such a system through the assessment of its legacy system, the Secure Criminal Information System (SCIS).
SCIS has outlived its life expectancy and no longer meets the needs of a law enforcement organization in its mandate to detect, prevent and suppress crime. As criminals become more advanced and cross national and international boundaries to participate in criminal activities, it is evident that a system which can operate in a seamless environment is required. The RCMP has met the challenge in procuring a solution which introduces a "single file management capability" and permits the consolidation of a traditional "paper-based" file into an electronic environment.
This report is a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) for the Secure Police Reporting and Occurrence System (SPROS). SPROS is the new National Security Program's primary database for the electronic storage, retrieval and management of national security criminal investigations and information, and on a required basis, classified criminal intelligence and other sensitive cases. SPROS is the secure installation of the Police Reporting and Occurrence System (PROS) within a classified environment. Since April 2006 SPROS has replaced SCIS which was the former national security database. SPROS functionality parallels that of PROS; the difference is the classification of the data stored on the application, the security afforded to the information, and the classified environment in which it resides. SPROS provides automated capabilities to create, store, update, maintain, retrieve, sequester, purge and dispose of information.
The implementation of SPROS provides the RCMP with an information system that meets the need of a modern day police organization. This system offers the assurance that sensitive information collected by the organization is afforded the highest level of security and that the environment in which it resides is protected against potential threats. The personal information collected is in the interest of matters of national security and Canadians can be offered the assurance that the information contained within is afforded the highest degree of protection.
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