History of the Department

The Police Department of the Velocity Interoperability Network is a young institution. The milestones below record its origins in the security arrangements of member organisations, the transition period in which those arrangements were brought together, and its establishment. They will be extended as the Department's services come into operation.

1. Before September 2026

   Site security provided by member organisations

   Before the Department existed, each member organisation of the Network kept order at its own sites through its own security staff. There was no common power of arrest, no shared record of offences, and no means of investigating a crime that crossed from one organisation's site to another.

2. 10 August to 5 September 2026

   The transition period

   In the four weeks before establishment, member organisations transferred their security and crime-reporting functions, their incident records and their staff to the new Department. Interim patrols under the Department's direction began at the six principal sites on 10 August, and 901 offences were recorded under the interim arrangements.

3. 24 August 2026

   Control room opened at Central Exchange

   The Department's control room began directing patrols at all six principal sites from a single point, replacing the separate arrangements of member organisations and introducing the common incident reference number used from establishment.

4. 6 September 2026

   Department established

   The Police Department of the Velocity Interoperability Network was formally established, with 412 sworn officers and 96 civilian staff, and responsibility for the prevention and investigation of crime, public order and the safety of staff, citizens and visitors at the sites of the Network.

5. 6 September 2026

   Official website launched

   The Department launched police.gov.vin, carrying press releases, guidance on reporting a crime, the register of stations, the composition of the community policing teams, safety advice and the first statistical release.

6. 6 September 2026

   Stations, teams and the first statistical release announced

   On the day of its establishment the Department confirmed the opening of six station counters between 7 and 11 September 2026, announced the assignment of a community policing team to every principal site from 7 September, and published its first statistical release, covering the transition period.

7. Forthcoming

   Certificates, complaints arrangements and quarterly reporting

   Applications for police certificates are accepted from 14 September 2026. Arrangements for complaints about the conduct of officers, and the Department's first full quarterly statistical report, covering the quarter ending 30 September 2026, will be announced in the Newsroom.

Announcements are published in the Newsroom. For the Department's present responsibilities and structure, see About the Department; for the figures recorded during the transition period, see Statistics.