Queensland govt promises more iPads for police
With the Queensland election under two weeks away, the Newman government has committed that the Queensland police will receive an additional 5,400 iPads if it is re-elected.
The election promise will be in addition to the 2,850 iPads that front-line officers already have. The officers are currently using the iPads to call for assistance instantly, as well as to view and record CCTV footage live.
Premier Campbell Newman said the potential deployment of the real-time equipment will be equivalent to employing 300 full-time police officers over four years, in addition to providing more resources to enable police to gather intelligence.
"The improved intelligence-gathering capability will help police gather the information they need to tackle organised crime, to counter terrorism, and respond during times of natural disaster," he said.
In addition to this, Newman said the government also plans to establish three new rapid-action police hubs. There are currently two rapid-action police hubs in the state, one on the Gold Coast and the other in Townsville.
He said it will enable "highly mobile and proactive taskforces to get up-to-date data, film, and assistance on the beat, not in the office, so they can spend more time cracking down on crime".
"The rapid-action police hubs ensure officers are sent directly to areas of need and kept mobile throughout their shift, rather than having to return to a station, allowing them more time out in the community," Newman said.
According to Newman, since the introduction of the initial technologies and hubs, the reported crime across the state is down by 12 percent.
"While we're making progress, we know the job's not done and we're going to do even more to support police so they can keep Queenslanders safe," he said.
During the initial trial of the iPads in 2013, Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart voiced his approval at the time, saying that the tablets "will help deliver a more efficient and improved policing service to the community".