The New York Police Department has been enforcing the law with the use of the latest technological advancements. Now, NYPD has already equipped all its 36,000 officers with Lumia phones that run on Windows 8.1. The police department also revealed the plan of upgrading it to Microsoft's Windows 10 mobile operating system.
Windows Phones For NYPD Officers
NYPD has planned back in 2014 to provide all of its 36,000 officers with Windows phones. According to CNET, the police department started to give out the smartphones in April 2015. By earlier this year, they were able to accomplish it.
New officers from the New York City Police Academy will also receive such phones along with guns and badges.
The Windows phones that were given to the NYPD officers are the Lumia 830 and the Lumia 640 XL. Both of which run on Windows Phone 8.1 operating system.
Why The Choice Of Windows Phones?
NYPD was asked about the choice of Windows phones. According to the Business Insider, the police department considers them to be more secure than iOS and Android devices. This is despite the fact that Microsoft's smartphone share went down to around only one percent. Analysts also expect it to hit 0.5 percent by the end of 2016.
CNET also reports that NYPD is planning to upgrade to the more recent Windows 10 Mobile operating system by next summer.
The Relevance Of NYPD's Windows Phone In Fighting Crimes
According to the Tech Times, NYPD previously claimed that the use of smartphones helps in solving crime faster. Apparently, the Windows phones accelerated the response time of the officers by 12 percent.
The NYPD and Microsoft worked together in the development of these useful apps. The 911 feature will allow officers to receive direct 911 calls instead of waiting for read reports from dispatchers.
The Search app is described as the Google of NYPD data. It lets officers search through the police database about police records, license plates, warrants and other information.
The Crime Information Center serves as an electronic bulletin board that displays wanted fliers, missing persons and safety alerts. The Messaging app will enable messages based on assignments, rankings, precinct or location to be sent.
The Case Management System works as a digital notepad. It is specifically useful to detectives for complaint follow-ups. The Forms app will get rid of using paper in filling out paperwork and a bunch of reports.
The NYPD U will inform the officers of latest policies by providing training videos, slideshows, and quizzes.
