Police have been issued Blackberry smartphones to assist in their duties, such as completing reports and photographing crime scenes.
South Yorkshire Police have unveiled a new initiative to use Blackberry smartphones to supplement walkie-talkie use.
South Yorkshire Police – getting with the times
All frontline officer and community support officers will now have access to the smartphones, which allows them to stay in touch without clogging police radio airwaves, as well as accessing real time information through policing apps on the device.
"The introduction of BlackBerry smartphones for the Force has been a success, as it enables officers to access data and information at the point of need, improving response times, reducing Airwave usage and making better use of public resources," said Temporary Inspector Simon Davies.
The apps allow officers to access records and complete forms, such as Stop and Search forms and National Intelligence Reports. Officers are also using the camera on the device to photograph evidence on the spot, such as footprints in the snow, or emailing each other photos of offenders or missing people to aide searches.
"If you see an officer texting in the street, this is not for personal use, they are accessing important police information to help them carry out their job more effectively and prevent them from having to return to the station, so they can stay out in the community, keeping the public safe."
Now, if you see them texting on an iPhone, that’s an entirely different matter…
