A Force On the Move as Mobile Data is Introduced

Police can access the latest updates on the move.

By Ben Aulakh

Police in one Midlands County are using the latest mobile technology to spend more time on the beat, and get fast access to the latest updates on crime in their area.

From the start of August officers in Warwickshire will have more than fifty mobile data devices at their disposal; something the force hopes will reduce the time they spend in front of a computer at police bases.

Accurate, up-to-date information can be accessed independently and at source, allowing officers to make informed decisions away from police bases.

Superintendent Adrian McGee said, “Put simply we will be able to access force wide and national information at the touch of a button so that offender identities, and fingerprints can be checked without having to return to the police station.”

“Officers can also access images of individuals wanted on suspicion of committing crime and they will also use the devices to help locate addresses where police assistance is required, and all this information is only recorded once.

Another advantage Supt McGee cites with the new technology is that all information recorded on the mobile device is then transmitted directly back to base.

He added, “We are one of the first forces in the region to use such a high level of technology away from police bases.

Police can also take fingerprints on the move

Most of the costs of the new technology were met the National Policing Improvement Agency, who have provided the vast majority of the project’s funding.

The new kit being used by the force includes 35 Netbook Flips, nine mobile fingerprint devices, 16 mobile data devices in specialised police vehicles and 90 vehicles fitted with locator devices.

The mobile revolution in policing has come about after Warwickshire Police carried out a pilot project last year to assess the benefits of mobile data.

The results of the pilot showed that the use of mobile data technology would provide significant benefits in the quality of service the force could provide.

More than 2576 police national computer checks were performed on passing vehicles during one major force operation, many of which were checked on the spot, without the need for officers to access information at the police communications centre.

Picture from onlinenews.warwickshire.police.uk