Smartphones and tablets given to Greater Manchester Police will increase ‘effectiveness and efficiency’ within the force, according to experts.
An estimated 6,292 smart phones and 3,617 tablets are to be bought as part of a £10.7million project.
The devices will be used to take witness statements, search and log crimes, fill in missing person forms and access key databases.
The devices, called Mobile and Remote Working Solutions (MRWS) or Police Report and Notebook Organisers (Pronto), aim to make police time more efficient.
When it is fully implemented, this programme is estimated to deliver annual savings of £1.7million.
Dr Geoff Pearson, Senior Lecturer in Criminal Law at the University of Manchester, told MM: “Police work involves a lot of standing around and waiting, so being able to file statements, intelligence and reports while they are out of the station should improve efficiency.
“Access to the crime database on the go is also obviously beneficial in assisting officers to access up-to-date intelligence and briefings and will lead to better quality police work.”
It is predicted that productivity will increase by 8.36% as a result of the programme.
Stuart Kirby, Professor Policing and Criminal Investigation at the University of Central Lancashire added: “Policing is very much information driven and the increasing administration is often taking police officers back into police stations.
“As such, more and more police forces are looking or have looked at this.
“US police officers have had mobile data units in their vehicles since the 1990’s.
“Studies in the past on this subject have not shown that the efficiency savings materialise – effective implementation is therefore important in any roll out, security of the data is always of concern.”
Insight Ltd is providing the hardware while HCL Technologies is providing software.
HCL have already provided mobile solutions for Wiltshire’s police force since 2007.
Professor of Criminology Jon Bannister from Manchester Metropolitan University told MM: “£10.7m is undoubtedly a significant investment at a time when resources are constrained.
“However, it can serve to make interventions more effective and efficient.
“I expect this and similar technologies to become increasingly common – just as the patrol car and police radios were once very novel technologies, but are now standard.”
Speaking at the time of the project’s announcement, Tony Lloyd, Police Crime Commissioner and Interim Mayor for Greater Manchester insisted that the scheme will increase safety in the region.
“Police officers should not be stuck in police buildings behind a computer, they should be out in the community, keeping people safe,” he said.
“Mobile technology will allow them to do that so they can work from anywhere in Greater Manchester – saving officer time and, crucially, providing a better service to local people.”
The devices have already been trialled in Rochdale with officers saying that they allowed them to stay in their communities and spend less time returning to the station.
Due to the success of this trial, the campaign received the go ahead to be rolled out across Greater Manchester later this month.
Image courtesy of miniyo73, via Flickr, with thanks.
