Police Scotland has launched its mobility programme, equipping officers with Samsung mobile phones and a digital notebook app to use on the beat.
Officers in Dundee, Perth, Kinross and Angus are the first to start using the devices, which enable them to log into a number of police systems, including the Police National Computer, and email.
A spokesperson said that by spring of next year they should be made available to every response officer and community police officer and staff with an operational role.
The project has been implemented with BT and harnesses its EE 4G network and Motorola Solutions' Pronto digital notebook software. The parties signed a £21 million, three-year contract in January that included the provision of Samsung Note 9 handsets loaded with the software to 10,000 officers across Scotland.
Police Scotland said it will add other policing applications to the devices over time.
Last year it produced a business case for a major investment in digital and data aimed at modernising the service over the next 10 years.
Major milestone
Deputy Chief Constable Will Kerr said: "The introduction of mobile technology is a major milestone which will positively change the operational policing approach in Scotland.
“Until now, our officers have been using paper notebooks to record information and crimes and have then been wasting time travelling back to their stations to type that into a computer.
“Giving them mobile phones will make them more visible in the communities they serve, enabling them to work on crime prevention and community based policing to keep people safe, whether in the public, private or virtual space.
“It’s the start of our work to equip officers with the tools they need to do their jobs and to transform Police Scotland into an organisation capable of delivering 21st century policing, but there’s much more that we still need to do.”
David Wallace, BT’s public sector director in Scotland, pointed to the increasing potential after the launch of 5G networks in Scotland.
Image: PC Linzi McAlpine with new mobile device, from Police Scotland
Amended 28 June to clarfiy Motorola supplies Pronto digital notebook
