60% of UK mobile phone owners now own a smartphone. Smartphones
are all-in-one devices, connecting people on the move with
messages, calls, emails, photos, and video capabilities. Through
harnessing the use of the internet, the public and police can
interact and exchange data at any time and from almost any
location. Policing apps have started to emerge and The National
Policing Improvement Agency has invested in equipping front-line
officers with smart mobile devices. However, police forces still
have considerable scope to make better use of mobile technology in
expanding interaction with citizens and improving service
delivery.
Mobile can support collaboration with the public. Apps can shift
policing from a one-way service delivery to a symbiotic model.
GPS-enabled devices using geospatial data allow people to tag
issues and make requests on the move – enriching
investigations. Mobile also enables the analysis of movements and
locations over time to support neighbourhood responses. For
example, aggregated phone data identifying the build-up of crowds
can be used in public order policing and at major public
events.
There has already been significant progress in this area. In New
York, they've taken the first steps with its NYC 311 and NYPD
apps. With these apps, citizens can report non-emergency service
requests, such as broken pavements and potholes. On NYPD they can
report tips, see who is 'Wanted' and catch up on the latest
bulletins. At home, tools like Facewatch enable the public to
identify people the police would like to speak to, with images
searchable by postcode. A large city developed a dedicated app for
smart phones to provide access to information such as the closest
police station, Officer details, meetings, student safety zones and
an 'around me' feature that plots news, appeals, and wanted
cases nearby. Whilst being the first generation (with mixed
reviews), these initiatives have shown what can be achieved and
have paved the way for future collaboration.
Police forces can also go further with using mobile internally.
Response teams and investigators would particularly benefit. Whilst
smart mobile devices have been purchased, the National Audit Office
commented that "too little consideration was given [to] how
they would be used. Currently they seem to be used primarily for
email and calendar access - while useful this is hardly
revolutionary."
One of the largest UK police forces is currently developing its
mobile capabilities internally. Its PDA solution hopes to allow
officers access to databases on the move - these include a Police
National Computer (for name and vehicle checks), Voters database,
and Mobile Phone Register. It also should provide electronic forms
to support activity such as Fixed Penalty Notices and some reports.
This is significant progress, and should be emulated, but could be
developed even further.
Mobile devices might support almost all stages of policing from
initial tasking to final investigation. They could be used to
improve scheduling, provide command and control bases with live
updates on the locations of all police resources as well as
supporting automated deployments of officers. As the officers
approach a scene, updates could be given to the customer where
appropriate. The same mobile device could then be used to access
information held centrally (e.g. legal and procedural guidance),
and officers' documents. Checklists, workflows and 'next
best actions' tailored to the specific scenarios can support
best practice. This would ensure procedures are followed, reduce
errors, increase compliance and make policing services more
personalised. When interviewing witnesses and gathering initial
evidence, the mobile device could be used to take live notes, make
recordings, identify electronic signatures, and capture basic
media. This data could then immediately be synchronised,
distributed, and escalated as needed.
Following this vision to its logical conclusion, a truly mobile
police force could bring great benefits. By reducing bureaucracy,
the reliance on manual paper-based processes and multiple computing
systems would be minimised. It would reduce the need for re-keying,
taking notes, and writing them up again on different systems
– an inefficient use of time. It could improve access to and
the quality of information, enabling officers to make more informed
decisions.
Given that officers may resort to their unsecured personal devices
for some of these functions already, a 'bring your own
device' approach is worth considering. Officers could use their
own smart phones, with an app providing a secure (encrypted to
government standards) space that can be destroyed remotely.
Alternatively, rather than providing officers with costly and
out-dated tough laptops and tablets, commercially focused
alternatives tablets could be used instead. Ownership and
management could be maintained by the force itself. These are
cheaper, more intuitive for the user, and can be procured
competitively.
In summary, mobile can support collaboration with the public. It
can also improve internal service delivery and transparency. There
is ample scope for better and more effective application of mobile
technology in police forces to deliver more for less.
Read the latest in our Actionable Insights for Police and Crime
Commissioners series -
In the spirit of 1829: Harnessing digital, social
and mobile technologies to fulfil 'peelian
principles'
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