Technology decision "exciting time for Police"

Police Commissioner Peter Marshall says the decision for Police to roll out smartphones and tablets to frontline staff will fundamentally change the way these officers do their jobs.

"We believe greater use of modern technology is the way of the future; it's common sense, and will ensure officers can remain on the frontline rather than returning to stations to complete paperwork," he says.

From April this year 6,086 frontline district staff will receive the mobile technology. The initial rollout is expected to take approximately three months. By mid-2014 6,500 staff will be equipped with the new devices.

Of these frontline response, investigation and community Police officers, 3,900 officers will also receive a tablet.  The larger device is for staff who need to do more complex data entry as part of their job.

Use of the devices will mean frontline staff gain 30 minutes productivity per shift, which equates to approximately 520,000 hours each year - the equivalent of about 345 frontline officers.

"Today's announcement follows the success of an 11-month trial involving more than 100 frontline officers in Lower Hutt, Napier, Counties-Manukau West and West Coast.  The officers were enthusiastic about how the mobile technology helped them become more efficient and effective and this was supported by an evaluation process," says Commissioner Marshall

"During the trial an officer in Counties-Manukau gave the following feedback highlighting the ability to verify a person's details:

        "This evening we stopped a vehicle and spoke to a male sitting in the rear of the vehicle.  He told me his name and details convincingly.  I inputted the details into eQuip.  Immediately the photo loaded; it was obvious he had provided false details.  I showed him the photograph and warned him of arrest if he continued to provide false details.  He subsequently gave me his real name.  One warrant to arrest and substantial outstanding fines warrants…a good catch thanks to the technology."

The expected time savings of 30 minutes per officer per shift will be reinvested into preventative policing activities.

"These may include on-the-spot checks, which enable officers to verify whether people are wanted to arrest or whether vehicles, or their owners, have outstanding fines against them.  This is expected to reduce the number of outstanding warrants to arrest and help recover unpaid fines," says Mr Marshall.

The initial cost of the rollout is $4.3 million. Over the next 12 years, Police will spend $159 million in operating expenditure to fund the technology rollout.  Over the same period, the move is expected to provide Police with productivity benefits of $304.8 million.  A time in motion study using independent experts confirmed the productivity benefits identified in the trial.

"When Police officers are out in communities they will have access to better and more timely information about people, vehicles and locations.  They will have mobile access to job critical information where and when they need it," says Commissioner Marshall.

"This will mean improved decision-making when dealing with offenders, victims and law-abiding citizens, but it will also help with their own safety and situational awareness.

"We are taking this seriously - districts are held to account in ensuring freed-up time is reinvested into tactics focused on prevention to reduce crime and prosecutions.

"Our long term vision is for frontline officers to be empowered, informed, tech-savvy, visible and safe in the community preventing crime, and not in stations filling in forms.

"The use of mobile devices goes a long way toward achieving this vision," says Commissioner Marshall.