Mobiles given to British police for efficiency

Britain’s new Prime Minister Gordon Brown thinks providing “handheld computers” to police is so important that he has mentioned them twice in major statements. A report in silicon.com explains:

Andrew Watson, chief information officer for the British Transport Police, said in a statement: “The use of mobile technology eliminates a massive administration burden from police officers, releasing them to concentrate on the job they are trained to do. Furthermore, it ensures that information is up-to-date and accurate.”

Instead of a British policemen having to spend the rest of the day in an office doing paperwork after making an arrest, he or she can send the information from the scene. That principle makes the officer more effective in fighting crime by freeing up wasted time.
Officer Watson’s statement also applies importantly to how mobile devices, more commonly called cell phones in the US, can empower school teachers and staff in keeping students safe. When teachers and staff are able to access information about students through the mobile devices they carry, that information is available, up-to-date and accurate.

The reverse of what takes place in the police example happens for school safety: crucial location and health information can come from the office directly into a mobile at the scene where a teacher or staff person is helping a student. A growing accumulation of experience in various areas of public and personal safety is showing that safety is more assured when the responsible person is carrying a mobile computer.