Sherlock Holmes is about to enter the world of new technology.

The great detective always got his man with the help of an old-fashioned magnifying glass and Herts Police are about to follow in his footsteps with their own Holmes.

Although not named after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional detective, the Home Office Holmes computer system is expected to keep pace with his detection rate.

The Herts Police Committee is expected to decide today whether to spend £150,000 on the computer system which is aimed at increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of police information systems by replacing tens of thousands of index cards.

A report to be presented to the committee states that Holmes – Home Office Large Major Enquiry System – will be used not only in cross-referencing important information on major investigations such as murder hunts, but also in day to day crimes such as car theft and burglary.

[From the Watford Observer of June 6, 1986]