By Charlene Macaulay
Wyndham’s protective services officers (PSOs) and transit safety police were the first to be equipped with the latest tablets and smartphones in a statewide upgrade of mobile technology for the police force.
Almost 60 iPad minis and iPhones have been handed out to Wyndham police across the transport network allowing them to easily access information and detect and report criminal activity.
During the initial phase of the roll-out, police will be able to access operational information while on patrol, including the ability to perform personal checks, and capture and share information quickly.
In the future, the technology will also
include electronic patrol duty returns, computer aided dispatch, and access to national resources.
Wyndham is the first police service area in Victoria to receive the new technology as part of an $81.2 million plan to roll out more than 10,000 mobile devices to police, PSOs and specialist units across the state in the next five years.
The upgrade is part of a wider $227 million project to modernise and upgrade Victoria Police technology, including introducing body-worn cameras, a new intelligence system and the roll-out of automatic number plate technology across the highway patrol fleet.
Deputy Commissioner Andrew Crisp said the new technology would give police in the community improved access to operational information and capabilities to make timely, informed decisions in the field.
“The technology will also enable police to have a greater presence in the community, by spending more time proactively policing in the field and less time station-bound doing administration work,” he said
Police minister Lisa Neville added: “This will ensure our PSOs have even faster access to the best information and intelligence available, especially when they’re out patrolling a train platform and are away from a computer.”
