Hampshire Constabulary has revealed that use of BlackBerry mobile phones and laptops has saved a huge amount of time and money so far this year.
Officials at the authority said that using the technology to take statements has saved police officers around 320 man hours since April this year, according to The News (Portsmouth).
But chairman of the the Hampshire Police Federation John Apter warned against too much reliance on electronic equipment: “What I don’t want to see is an option. Is it cops or computers?”
Officers have also made use of body-worn video cameras, which allow for clearer evidence of crimes to be taken, which can be useful in future court prosecutions.
Mr Apter praised this particular use of technology, stating that: “It’s good for the victim, it’s good for police officer and it’s good for the judicial system.”
A similar scheme is currently underway in Winchester, where justice minister Damian Green recently visited to see for himself the difference 40 tablets have made to day-to-day operations in the historic city.
