Police Service Implements Mobile Data Project
07 Jul 2010
Over the next 12 months the Police Service will be providing front line response and road policing officers with over 4,000 Handheld Mobile Data Terminals. The drive is to ensure that officers are spending more time out of stations allowing more personal, professional and protective policing to take place.
Chief Superintendent, Michael Skuce discusses the rationale behind the initiative and the benefits of this technology:
"No one wants to see officers spending additional hours in stations completing forms. This detracts from their visibility in communities. The introduction of BlackBerry devices to constables in response and road policing will reduce operational officer administration within Police Stations and in the process enhance efficiency.
"The password protected BlackBerry devices serve as a launch pad to access information that is stored within our IT system, which minimises any risk associated with the loss of a device in the course of duty. Officers will be able to use a BlackBerry to make voice calls and access their email and internet, which will increase their accessibility while enabling them to spend a greater proportion of their duty time on front-line policing duties."
C/Supt Michael Skuce continues:
"As the devices reach their full capacity and interact with a range of police applications officers will be able to conduct enquiries and enter data on Police systems directly from their mobile data device, reducing bureaucracy and time spent on paper based activities."
The security of the Police Service’s information systems has been a key consideration throughout the process. The devices being deployed have been approved for police use to the required Government standards. To ensure that data is only accessed or viewed for approved policing purposes, the usage of each and every handheld device is subject to strict user policies and comprehensive transaction audit.
Prior to investing the mobile technology, a full economic review and approval process was undertaken. This identified substantial efficiency savings arising from:
• More officer time spent out of station
• Reduced effort processing enquiries
• Reduced back-office data entry and
• Reduction in data double keying.
Similar mobile data solutions have already been introduced by a number of other Police Services across the UK.
