NSW Police trials 'real-time policing' with 500 smartphones
NSW Police Force has deployed 500 Samsung Galaxy smartphones as part of a pilot program developed by NSW Police Strategic Technologies & Planning and Business & Technology services as a step forward into "real-time policing".
Using the device, police will be able to perform background checks on vehicles and persons of interest.
Latest Australian news
NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said the devices would advance NSW Police Force's real-time policing capabilities, while improving the safety of operational police in their daily duties.
"Policing can be a dangerous job, and this device means officers can perform checks on the spot and gain operational information that could prove pertinent during high-risk situations," he said.
"The device will also save officers time by streamlining their daily duties, as it eliminates the need for officers to return to their vehicle to access information.
"Officers from the Police Transport Command and Traffic & Highway Patrol Command will benefit greatly from this device particularly during high-visibility operations.
NSW Police said the Domestic and Family violence team would receive the handset as part of the evidence-gathering process during domestic violence-related incidents.
The handset trial comes in addition to NSW Police trialling the use of iPad minis back in 2013 as an attempt to reduce the amount of time that officers spend on administrative tasks.
NSW Police is not the only law-enforcement organisation rolling out crime-fighting technology on mobile devices. Tasmanian Police trialled 40 3G-capable tablet devices over a three-week period in May 2013. The Queensland Police used iPads and iPhones to fight crime during the G20 Summit in Brisbane last year.