Why Endurance is Critical for Policing Mobile Technology

In today’s cost-conscious world, every purchasing decision police procurement departments make must balance advancing technology with budgetary responsibility. At the same time, they must keep the unique needs of the operational users front of mind and consider if the technology they’re buying is appropriate for the environment frontline officers are often required to operate in. Procurement teams must also consider how they can maximise technology benefits and avoid the pitfalls inherent in ground-breaking innovation, while keeping a close eye on costs. 

The good news is that lines of communication between officers, other blue light services and control rooms are going from strength to strength thanks to advancements in mobile technology. Today, frontline officers are maximising their device functionality to do their jobs effectively and safely. 

To put this into context, without access to critical systems, officers in the field cannot receive jobs, attend scenes of crime, or process information in either a secure or compliant way. They are unable to collect and record evidence at the scene, which risks impacting further investigation activities. Additionally, limited communications with colleagues back at HQ could compromise decision-making, particularly the ability to record statements and digitally upload crucial data to central resources. 

Losing access to individual apps prevents officers from accessing and logging information in a timely way. And without access to cloud-based collaboration tools such as the National Enabling Programmes (NEP), officers’ access to intelligence disappears when they need it most. Finally, and of utmost importance, without colleague connectivity the personal safety of a frontline officer is threatened. 

On top of this, frontline police work is conducted in an outdoor environment that includes wind, rain, and extremes of heat and cold. This is challenging for technology, which must contend with impacts, drops and spills, all of which are an occupational hazard for Force-issued devices.

This invariably means that consumer grade electronics made for domestic and light commercial use simply aren’t up to the job. While such devices might offer an attractive price point, procurement teams should be aware that often the build quality is fragile. Paying for replacements, repairs, and retaining buffer stocks create additional expenditure, not to mention the cost and risk incurred from operational downtime whilst swapping out damaged devices from the field. They also don’t have the robust security field officers typically require. All of which negates the initial cost savings.