Lancashire Constabulary, reputed to be one of the UK’s most digitally advanced police forces, has invested in Motorola Solutions technology to modernise frontline policing and make a real difference to efficiency and time spent in the community.
Police in the UK have historically relied on paper notepads and had to travel to and from police stations to file evidence and reports, often using complicated, time-consuming IT systems. The bottom line is that the more time they spend in stations, the less time they spend on the beat. The new world of policing in the UK is seeing forces adopt technology that allows them to spend less time on paperwork and more time in their communities, where it matters.
The advancement of technology at Lancashire Constabulary through an extension of its contract for the Pronto digital policing app until 2029 is said to have seen the force’s 3,500-plus frontline officers and staff spending hundreds more hours on the streets.
The Pronto app enables officers to access records and file reports from anywhere, replacing traditional police notebooks. It also gives officers the ability to easily and reliably record and access information without the need to return to the station, including using voice commands to access records and file reports safely from their vehicles without taking their eyes off the road.
One of the first forces in the world to adopt Pronto, Lancashire Constabulary has additionally purchased 1,750 body cameras to improve evidence collection. The technologies are designed to provide critical information to officers to support faster, more effective policing while freeing up time for officers to engage with their communities.
According to Motorola Solutions, a recent survey found the vast majority of Lancashire’s police officers regard the app as highly valuable and easy to use. A majority of frontline officers surveyed also credit body cameras for capturing stronger evidence and giving them better protection against threats. The force is in the process of upgrading its existing body cameras with the Motorola Solutions V500 devices to give its control rooms livestreaming visibility of incidents as they unfold. It has also deployed the M500 in-car video system across the Lancashire fleet of police vehicles.
The V500 and M500 devices integrate with Pronto and are supported by the VideoManager evidence management software that helps ensure the secure handling, storage and sharing of evidence. The force also uses the Airwave mission-critical voice communications system.
Assessing how the force has advanced its ecosystem of safety and security technologies, Lancashire Constabulary chief superintendent Chris Hardy noted that embracing innovation is central to how the force serves its communities.
“Investing in technology like Pronto and body camera solutions, we are enabling our teams to work more safely and effectively,” said Hardy. “We also know that when data is entered into our systems through Motorola Solutions’ digital policing app, it has integrity and helps to reduce operational challenges such as duplicate records. We are moving towards channelling all data collation through Pronto in the future, continuing to modernise our approach to policing to help make our community safer.”
Fergus Mayne, UK and Ireland country manager at Motorola Solutions, added: “Real-time video is transforming the way police forces gather information, respond to incidents and create records with rich, objective evidence. Lancashire’s digital transformation has been hugely impressive, connecting the front lines with control rooms and setting a new standard for police forces across the country.”
