Smartphones save police £112m

Research in Motion (RIM) claims its BlackBerry smartphone devices have collectively saved UK police forces £112 million.

The company, which has worked with British forces for the past four years, has claimed the savings have been made by police officers using BlackBerrys and a variety of bespoke apps that “enable them to improve efficiency, from accessing and updating records on the move to taking photos as an instant record of a crime scene or suspect”.

One in six officers in the UK now carries a BlackBerry on the beat, with 44 out of 56 forces across the country using the device.

“Our police customers are seeing impressive savings, no matter where they are based or what their level of personnel,” said Graham Baker, senior manager of UK public sector at RIM. “Given the recent announcement by the Home Secretary to cut budgets in the police service, solutions that drive efficiency savings are making a significant contribution to the future success of police forces.”

Rory O’Neill, senior director of business marketing, EMEA, at RIM, told the public sector news site PublicTechnology.net that one of the key factors in the use of the devices by police forces was the ability to securely access data at the point of need. “For example, officers are using BlackBerry smartphones to access warrant information and DVLA databases, meaning they can make arrests on the move without checking back with base.”