Mobile technology modernising 21st Century policing

New smartphone technology is changing the way for policing.

Police officers have been issued with 330 laptops and 1500 smartphones, which comes loaded with a new smartphone application called Pronto, developed with the support of Motorola.

Pronto works like a mobile banking app, providing multiple levels of encryption and security. It allows officers to add information about incidents remotely, meaning they can record witness statements and details on a smartphone rather than in a notebook. The application then updates our central operational systems, reducing the need for officers to return to the office to complete their important paperwork.

This immediate, mobile access is aiming to reduce the time officers spend in the station so they can eventually spend more time on the beat in our communities.

The roll out is the result of three years’ work following a successful joint bid with the Home Office Innovation Fund by the Humberside and South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioners, which contributed £2.6m to invest in new technology.

Two hundred and thirty courses were run to train over 3000 officers. Training was rolled out in June 2016 and completed by February 2017.

Humberside Police’s Inspector Sevtap Bolton said: “Our use of mobile technology is modernising the way we police, consigning to history the traditional image of a beat officer recording details of crime in a notebook.”

“Smartphones have become part of everyday life and it means you’re increasingly likely to see officers using their smartphones in the community and on the beat, recording crimes, completing paperwork and providing important community information and advice through Police social media accounts.”

“Our investment in new smartphone technology and applications is the start of a long-term journey to save time and improve productivity. It will allow officers to access secure police systems remotely, improve the quality of the information they record by completing paperwork digitally at the scene of an incident rather than later in the day in an office and eventually lead to them spending more time in the community rather than sitting at a desk.”

Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner, Keith Hunter said:“The public constantly tell me they want to see more officers and PCSO’s in our communities and this technology will help Humberside Police to deliver that. The Pronto application and smartphone devices, developed as result of our successful funding bid, means that important paperwork can now be completed remotely, without the need for officers to constantly return to a police station.

“The average person in the street carries more technology on the smartphone in their pocket than a police officer has access to, so this investment will help to bring policing into the 21st Century and I hope it will lead to increased visibility of police officers in their communities.”