The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Mobile devices will allow police to spend more time on the beat
Tayside chosen as pilot zone for the new technology
Police officers across Tayside have been given mobile devices to allow them to spend more time on the streets.
The devices allow officers to take statements and access the national computer while on the beat, removing the need for them to take time to return to the police station and maintaining their public visibility.
The devices are being piloted in Tayside at the moment but it is planned to roll out a total of 10,000 across Scotland by spring 2020 as part of a £21 million project.
Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf was at Dundee’s Bell Street police headquarters to announce the launch.
He said: “These are a game changer and they will change the way that we work.
“The Scottish Government has to listen to police officers who are on the ground about what they need.
“I am pleased that the Scottish Government has been able to help Police Scotland invest in this new technology, which will enable officers to work in the heart of Scotland’s communities, providing reassurance and increasing their visibility.
“By utilising updated technology, Scotland’s police service can become even more agile and responsive, ensuring they are better-equipped to meet the demands of a modern Scotland.
“Being able to access information at their fingertips will enhance officers’ ability to react quickly to issues that they encounter while out on the beat, keeping people safe.”
Tayside was chosen as the pilot zone as it has both urban and rural areas and will fully test the device’s connectivity to the main police system.
Deputy Chief Constable Will Kerr said: “The introduction of mobile technology is a major milestone which will positively change the operational policing approach in Scotland.
“Until now, our officers have been using paper notebooks to record information and crimes and have then been wasting time travelling back to their stations to type that into a computer.
“Giving them mobile phones will make them more visible in the communities they serve.
“It’s the start of our work to equip officers with the tools they need to do their jobs and to transform Police Scotland into an organisation capable of delivering 21st Century policing, but there’s much more that we still need to do.”
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Until now, our officers have been using paper notebooks to record information and crimes and have then been wasting time travelling back to their stations to type that into a computer. DEPUTY CHIEF CONSTABLE WILL KERR
Get more police on the beat is a familiar mantra. But in straitened times when public resources are less than plentiful, turning that concept into a reality is no mean feat.
Official figures published last month showed there were a total of 17,251 police officers in Scotland.
That figure has risen by more than 1,000 since the SNP took power in 2007, fulfilling a pledge to the electorate.
That the thin blue line is a little thicker in Scotland is welcome, but the reality is that policing a country of more than five million people with the resource available remains a significant challenge.
And Scotland’s physical geography, from the Border lowlands to the Highlands and Islands, means that resource is still spread very thinly at times.
Police Scotland is now trialling new mobile technology in a bid to tackle the bureaucratic burden that officers face.
Many spend a significant part of each shift translating hand-written notes made on the street into digital records.
By harnessing the power of technology, the hope is officers will be able to spend more of their time in communities and less at their desks.
The success of the scheme will largely depend on the robustness of the technology deployed and the willingness of officers to embrace change.
But for that hallowed prize of greater policing visibility in our communities, it is a step in the right direction.