EQUIFAX HELPS COURTS CRACK DOWN ON CRIME
New DCA Contract to Provide Vital Data for Tracking Down Offenders
London, October 5, 2004 - Equifax Ltd today announced that it has signed a contract with the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) to provide all 42 Magistrates Courts Committees (MCCs) across England and Wales with access to its electronic data. Through this agreement, Equifax will provide a live database of addresses and associated information for tracing offenders who have defaulted on court penalties. The contract builds on a strong and established partnership between Equifax and the government and will be key in bringing more defaulters to justice.
Equifax provides the DCA with data from a wide variety of sources which include more than 500 million records on individuals in the UK. The partnership allows up to 700 staff in 42 magistrates courts committees to instantly check the whereabouts of offenders. With responsibility for issuing court penalties including fines, community penalties and suspended sentence supervision, it is vital that the courts can trace offenders quickly and efficiently.
Courts Minister Christopher Leslie, explains, "Magistrates Courts will have access to important intelligence which is not available through any other source. Our partnership with Equifax provides the courts with unrivalled access to a wealth of high quality data including new addresses, associated individuals and phone numbers and it confirms our commitment to pursing those who flout an order of the courts".
Users of the Equifax system will be trained over a five-week period by Steria, a leading end-to-end IT provider. Steria was chosen by Equifax for its flexible and innovative training methods, as well as its proven track record of training within the criminal justice community.
Michael Shannon, Managing Director of Equifax, comments, "We are delighted to be working with the DCA to help it tackle the problem of tracing offenders who have defaulted on court penalties. Our databases are constantly updated so the information we provide is up-to-date and accurate. Furthermore, the speed at which we can deliver the information to the courts ensures they can quickly and easily track down offenders."
"This agreement is part of an ongoing application of Equifax data in the government arena and follows on from our successful provision of data for the UK Passport Service in their fight against identity fraud. This contract cements an already strong and productive relationship as we continue to work closely with the government to develop new products in this market."
