Research

Helping the police to stay on the beat continued...

Leicestershire Constabulary now has 730 police officers and 293 sergeants as well as other specialised officers using the MDTs.

And the system looks set to be introduced into other UK police forces, with Leicestershire being approached by Cleveland, West Midlands, Norfolk, Lincolnshire and Essex, to name just a few, who are interested in the technology. So far 15 forces have visited Leicestershire to see the MDTs in action.

The MDT solution was also awarded one of the cherished Technology Excellence medals in the 2009 Chartered Institute for IT awards.

For Leicestershire Constabulary the implementation of the MDTs has had a genuine impact on policing practice and effectiveness. There has been a 15.2 percent increase in officer visibility; reduced vehicle mileage and service costs; more effective scheduled responses to members of the public; and an increase of 600 percent in agreed appointments.

It has also dramatically reduced the time it takes to make a crime report available to another officer to investigate, from a minimum of three days previously to just 11 minutes.

Inspector Tony Price of Leicestershire Constabulary’s Mobile Information Team said: “MDTs have enabled us to reduce bureaucracy, increase the availability of intelligence, and increase the visibility of police officers. We are now able to respond more effectively to the needs of communities and make them safer.”