Strathclyde police first to trial electronic notepads to cut bureaucracy

Traditional notebooks used by police are being replaced with electronic pads in a bid to save time and cut down on paperwork.

Strathclyde Police is the first UK force to trial the new “mobile data system”.

Officers will be able to take down witness statements and accident reports on their high-tech pad, which will then be downloaded on to a computer.

It is hoped the new technology will save officers around one hour per shift by cutting out the manual logging of information.

And digital screens being installed on police car dashboards will provide officers with access to all the information they need while on the go.

The Govan unit in Glasgow is the first to use the new system.

A training programme is schedule to run until the end of March by which time over 140 officers will be qualified to use the gadgetry.

Justice secretary Kenny MacAskill hailed the initiative stating: “This will allow our officers to work smarter, to increase their presence in our communities and to allow them to do the excellent services they do already even better and with even more hours out on the street.”

Deputy chief constable Ricky Gray said: “This innovative step forward sees the force at the forefront of modern day policing, using state-of-the-art technology.

“One of the biggest benefits which will come from this initiative is a real impact on bureaucracy, freeing up time for additional patrolling.”