Hand-held computers for police
- 00:01:08
- ITN
Hand-held computers for police
A £50 million Government scheme to provide police forces with 10,000 hand-held computers has been unveiled.Last year, Prime Minister Gordon Brown claimed the devices, which are linked to main systems and databases, could cut average paperwork by 99 minutes a shift.Police Minister Tony McNulty said: "We are investing in new technology to make crime fighting more effective and to save officers' time."It is just one of a range of improvements we are delivering to cut unnecessary bureaucracy, exploit new technologies and enable police officers to spend more time on frontline policing."But police chiefs said many forces had been disappointed after demand for the hi-tech kit far outstripped the number being supplied by the Home Office.Ailsa Beaton, the Metropolitan Police director of information, said: "A pragmatic approach had to be adopted in order to keep to budget and timescales for delivery. That said, we cannot lose sight of what has been achieved in relatively short timescales. We will continue to work together with the NPIA (National Policing Improvement Agency) to deliver mobility solutions for the future."A total of 27 forces were successful with bids for a share of the cash to fund the devices.
ITN | May 26, 2008
