The new office, conference and IT facilities enable Harperley Hall to enhance significantly the range and depth of services that it can offer to police forces nationally and internationally. Speaking at the official opening ceremony, Ms Armstrong said: "I am delighted to formally open these new facilities which will enable the NPIA's world-class centre at Harperley Hall to play an even greater role in supporting forensics work for police in the UK and abroad. The refurbishment is part of the wider forensics and police improvement agenda which underpin Government Community Safety initiatives." "Harperley Hall plays a key role in high-profile projects such as the new National Footwear Database, the digital transmission of fingerprints from scenes in hours rather than weeks and the faster analysis of drugs samples taken in police custody suites. This excellent work enables police to link crimes and identify suspects in a quicker, more efficient and more cost-effective way." Chief Executive of the NPIA, Chief Constable Peter Neyroud said: "Today's official opening of the newly refurbished Hall represents a significant milestone in the development of the NPIA Harperley Hall site. This has been the final step of the current site development project, allowing us to enhance significantly the range and depth of forensic services that we can offer. "By combining technological innovation with the drive to bring the science closer to the crime scene or police custody suites the NPIA is delivering real improvements in crime detection and ultimately public safety." "Harperley Hall is a precious resource for forces in the UK and abroad. This year alone, it has provided forensic training in Abu Dhabi, St Lucia, Kenya, Cyprus, Quatar and Libya. These excellent new facilities will enable us to perform this crucial national and international role even better." During the day, guests will have a tour of the new facilities and see demonstrations of key NPIA-supported projects such as remote fingerprint capture and transmission, the National Reference Footwear Collection and blood spatter analysis. Notes to Editor NPIA is a single national organisation created to support effective policing. It provides expertise in areas as diverse as information and communications technology, support to information and intelligence sharing, core police processes, managing change and recruiting, developing and deploying people. The media is welcome to attend the official opening of the new facilities at Harperley Hall, Fir Tree, Crook, Co. Durham. The Rt Hon Hilary Armstrong and NPIA representatives will be available from 3pm to 3.30pm on the day for media interviews. To register for this event or for further information, please contact the NPIA Press Office on 020 7147 8308/ 8297/8424/8310. If out of hours please call 07827 309361. ENDS
NPIA works for the police service and is governed by a tripartite board comprising ACPO, APA, Home Office and independent members.
