News headlines

26 September 2004

Memex and Beat Systems join forces to demonstrate the future of mobile intelligence-led policing

Memex Technology, the world leader in intelligence management software is collaborating with Beat Systems, providers of innovative mobile computing solutions, at ACPO 2004 to demonstrate the vision of a mobile policing environment with the “Mobile Criminal Intelligence System.” The aim will be to provide officers in the field with secure, timely access to their central intelligence system whilst on the move.

The Mobile Criminal Intelligence System effectively provides the officer with a mobile office.

Using hand-held units, police officers will be able to input and extract criminal intelligence data at source, which will automatically update the force’s central intelligence system. All intelligence is immediately available, force-wide, and importantly there is no duplication of effort inputting forms. This will save huge amounts of time and put more officers on the street, as well as ensuring a greater level of safety for the officer by arming them with vital information on the suspect before they step out of their car.

The system uses secure, state-of-the-art wireless encryption techniques that adhere to Home Office standards. The system is easy to use and can increase a force’s use of its intelligence data, which will in turn improve the quantity and quality of intelligence available to officers across the entire force.

Memex has significant experience in this area, working with the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) in the US. The PSP is streets ahead in the area of mobile intelligence policing and already has systems in place. The department equips its patrol cars with mobile work stations, providing officers with a range of applications on the move. For example, the system includes a GPS mapping feature that allows officers to receive location coordinates and directions from their current locations to incidents.

Memex has been working with PSP to enhance its mobile system, creating an interface between the department’s intelligence system and officers’ mobile office. The interface integrates with over 20 national police-related databases, allowing access via wireless technology to a range of vital law enforcement databases.

Sgt. Raymond Cook, supervisor of the PSP’s Analytical Automated Intelligence Unit comments, “Mobile intelligence policing is extremely valuable for officer safety and ultimately aid crime prevention. Imagine an officer making a traffic stop at 2am on an abandoned stretch of Pennsylvania interstate highway. Arming an officer with intelligence about the suspect before they stop, i.e. that the motorist posses a history of being agressive with police officers and has threatened to kill any officer who stops him again, is vital. We aim to give officers intelligence on a real-time basis, from call to call and traffic stop to traffic stop.”