Can electronic notebooks earn their keep with police?
Senior police officers have hailed electronics notepads as a "great success" that had slashed red tape. But rank-and-file Lothians and Borders officers yesterday passed a damning verdict on electronic notepads. Hundreds of personal data administrators – or PDAs – were introduced last year at a cost of more than £600,000. Replacing notepads and pens, the PDAs are meant to allow witness statements and other information from crime scenes to downloaded straight on to a computer and stored.
But a survey by the Scottish Police Federation of officers using PDAs in Lothian and Borders found that 64% thought the devices were less efficient, with only 9% saying they saved time. More than a third said they spent more time in offices, while only one in six believed they helped them do their jobs.
Three-quarters of officers felt less safe using PDAs, because their concentration was focused on using the computers, rather than on potentially dangerous incidents.
The Scotsman understands that problems with software meant vast amounts of electronic notes were corrupted, forcing police officers to spend time re-entering evidence and quotes Norrie Flowers, chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, described the survey as "very worrying.
"These results are very disappointing," he added. "It's not the first time that operational experience has uncovered unintentional detrimental consequences to the latest greatest idea."
Meantime Strathclyde Police is about to take delivery of handheld computers that will replace officers' traditional trusty notepads. The PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), are being provided by a local technology firm and can be used for processing forms such as driving tickets and can connect to other police force's databases - improving crime investigations and reducing duplication.
The force believes the equipment will lead to major cost savings, with Deputy Chief Constable Ricky Gray being quoted as saying: "Over time, we believe we can make about £800,000 efficiency savings in police time, based on 120 officers using this system over an eight-month period. "One of the biggest benefits will be the impact on bureaucracy, freeing up time for officers to focus on additional patrolling."
The computers, which can be held in one hand and cost around £300, are being provided by Glasgow University spin-out Kelvin Connect. The technology has been used by Lothian and Borders Police for almost five years.
Lothian has been working in partnership with Kelvin Connect, the leading supplier of such systems in the UK.since 2003 to develop a system that could be used by any police force in the UK.
Campbell McClelland, of Kelvin Connect, said: "We are now servicing two of Scotland's leading police forces, which is strategically very important for our business. Our partnership with Arqiva in this is the first of its type and focuses on providing mobile-data capture and access to the police national computer."
Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced last September he was aiming to give to 10,000 officers "handheld computers" so they can make more effective use of their time and increase the amount of frontline policing they do.
Sources: http://www.scotsman.com
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/
http://www.kelvinconnect.com/cs_lothianreports.php