Mobilising frontline officers
Bedfordshire Police is among the 81 finalists in the e-Government National Awards 2007 due to be announced on January 22. The awards highlight the UK`s most effective services which improve citizen and business transaction with councils, central government departments and other public sector organisations.
Bedfordshire Police is among the 81 finalists in the e-Government National Awards 2007 due to be announced on January 22. The awards highlight the UK`s most effective services which improve citizen and business transaction with councils, central government departments and other public sector organisations.
Bedfordshire Polices nomination came from its initiative to mobilise its frontline officers using wireless BlackBerry handheld devices.
By next month, more than 1,000 frontline officers will be making use of the T-Mobile-powered devices to access the Police National Computer (PNC), Police National Legal Database (PNLD) and other key force systems such as the briefings, intelligence and warrants databases.
By using BlackBerry smartphones to access critical applications on the move, instead of at their desks, our officers will be able to increase their visibility in the community and improve their operational efficiency, explained Inspector Jim Hitch, the project manager who spearheaded the initiative for Bedfordshire Police.
Officers no longer need to radio the control room for information or intelligence every time they question someone or see something suspicious. BlackBerry gives officers the power to quickly check crucial details such as identity, vehicle ownership and previous convictions with very little effort and in a secure and robust manner.
Remote access to the forces custom-built briefings application provides officers with real-time access to information and photographs of wanted or missing people, and the BlackBerry smartphones also give immediate, mobile access to the forces warrants database.
