Officers get access to Interpol database through mobile devices

Motorola Solutions’ says the new functionality in its Pronto mobile policing solution will equip 4,500 police officers across both forces with the “Interpol database at their fingertips”, ensuring instant and secure access to millions of international records, including warrants, stolen property and threats related to weapons.

“This source of intelligence provides officers with important information to protect national security and enable daily productivity gains,” it added.

The UK’s departure from the EU removed police access to the Schengen Information System, increasing the reliance on Interpol for international data related to crime.

“Pronto has been a part of the digitalisation of our police force since 2009,” said Amber Kingshott, mobile development manager at Surrey Police.

“With access to Interpol, our officers no longer need to call a colleague or return to a police station to run a search, saving minutes in everyday operations and emergency situations.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Steven Boniface of Sussex Police added: “It takes an average of 1.2 seconds to run a query through the Interpol database using our mobile device.

“Officers can run a search from any location at any time, leveraging Interpol’s vital source of intelligence to increase safety for themselves and the British public.”

Pronto is the most widely deployed mobile policing solution in the UK, and includes features such as mobile biometrics and federated searches.

“Police officers need rapid access to relevant, up-to-date global data in order to assess potential threats and keep themselves and the public safe”, said Fergus Mayne, country manager, UK and Ireland at Motorola Solutions.

“Developed locally in the UK, Pronto is built for the specific needs of UK police and has successfully supported hundreds of communities, as well as freeing officer time to focus on citizens and their public safety.”

Motorola said secure access to Interpol is now available to all Pronto customers at no additional cost. It added that the new functionality was also fully compliant with Interpol’s commitment to privacy and data protection.