Gadget not to blame says police inspector

Published on Monday 8 June 2009 11:02

A SENIOR Lothians police officer has reportedly advised colleagues "to go to the job centre" if they do not want to use hand-held computers instead of the traditional notepad.

Inspector Thomas Muir, from Lothian and Borders Police, made the comments amid complaints from colleagues that new 250 PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) make officers less efficient.

The force, under the leadership of Insp Muir, is piloting the 2.4 million PDA scheme as a replacement to the old-fashioned method of paper and pen, believing the machines can make operations more efficient by freeing up officers' time. And Insp Muir, speaking to industry magazine for police officers Police Review, said dislike of the devices was because "a lot of cops are happy to sit at the station typing, rather than doing their jobs".

He is reported as saying: "Since the notebook was invented, the big advancements (in the police service] have been a paperclip, a rubber band and that is it.

"Since then we have put a man on the moon and yet we are still using notebooks."

PDAs are estimated to add the equivalent of an extra 30 officers to the force, owing to the time police chiefs believe they save.

The machines record officers' handwriting when statements are drawn up, as well as people's details, meaning the information does not have to be re-entered on return to the police station.

But the results of a survey by Lothian and Borders Police Federation in 2007 and 2008 showed 65 per cent of respondents thought PDAs made them less efficient. A further 34 per cent said they were spending more time at the station following their introduction, with 47.5 per cent also insisting they spent more time on administration with a PDA.

Complaints about feeling unsafe when using PDAs were also expressed by 73 per cent of surveyed officers, believing they are a distraction at busy crime scenes or accidents.

Mr Muir is reported as saying: "A PDA is not bulletproof. Is it the PDA's fault if an officer almost stepped out in front of a car?"

Lothian and Borders Police is trying out more than 2,000 machines until 2010, along with officers across Strathclyde. After that, it is hoped the devices will replace every police notepad in Scotland.

But protests have also come from the Scottish Police Federation. General secretary Callum Steele said that paper "has been around for thousands of years because it has worked" and that officers were "genuinely exasperated with PDAs".

The Scottish Government is backing PDAs and will examine evaluations of the pilot scheme made by the Association of Chief Police Officers Scotland.

A spokesman said: "Our current view is that, if implemented effectively, PDAs have some potential to free up police officer time, allowing officers to spend more time on the street and improving the service the public receive."