23 May 2006, London … Civica plc, one of the UK’s most experienced providers of consulting, software and managed services to the public sector, has been selected to provide an upgrade to the financial management suite for Merseyside Police.

As one of five police forces in the north-west, Merseyside covers five local authority areas – Liverpool, Sefton, Wirral, St Helens and Knowsley - with a combined population of just over 1.5 million people.

At a time when every aspect of police performance is under scrutiny by the Government, paying suppliers efficiently is all part of maintaining a good reputation and improving relationships with the local community.

Merseyside Police has been successfully operating Civica’s purchasing system for two years and it was a logical step to upgrade its current financial management suite with Authority Financials.

“The Police are under increasing pressure to identify where efficiency gains can be made and to ensure already strained resources are directed to priority areas. As the Government considers plans to merge local police forces into fewer regional bodies, a good financial management system is crucial, in order to provide an overall, accurate financial picture of where the money is being spent and what benefits are being achieved from those investments.”