Police congratulated on TUANZ award

Police Minister Judith Collins today congratulated the New Zealand Police on winning a major award at the Telecommunication Users Association of New Zealand (TUANZ) Innovation Awards in Auckland last night.

Police and IT partner Datacom won the Local and Central Government Services Award for Operation SNAP, a web-based initiative that targets property crime.

The annual awards honour companies and individuals that have made a significant contribution to telecommunications in New Zealand.

Operation SNAP (Serial Number Action Partnership) encourages people to record serial numbers and other identifiers of their assets on the secure SNAP website (http://www.snap.org.nz).

By recording their assets online, owners can quickly retrieve details from anywhere in the world. These details can then be passed on to Police or insurance companies if items are lost of stolen.

“This is a terrific initiative that provides Police with vital information that can lead to the identification and return of stolen property, and to catch offenders,” Ms Collins said.

“I congratulate Police on this well-deserved award. It acknowledges that the way Police are using technology to deliver better services is among the best and most innovative in the public sector.”