15 April 2009

The mobile technology eliminates human error, increases speed and efficiency

Mobile computers are playing an important role in the fight against mobile phone crime in the UK.

Radio Tactics Limited (RTL), a provider of mobile phone forensic solutions to law enforcement agencies, recently introduced Apollo — a new crime-fighting system that uses Dolphin 7600 mobile computers from Microsoft partner Honeywell and an internally developed software application. Apollo enables police officers to check mobile phones on the spot to see if they have been stolen, lost or blocked. Using mobile computers in this application eliminates human error; increases speed and efficiency; and increases the detection rate of mobile phone thefts.

The new system is used to read the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number in the back of a mobile phone. This unique identifier is logged on the National Mobile Phone Register (NMPR) whenever a new phone is produced. Apollo can check the scanned code with the NMPR database in a matter of seconds. An integral part of the system is the bar code scanner. RTL tested a wide range of devices and Honeywell’s Dolphin 7600 with GSM was the only model that met all of its criteria.

Andy Gill, managing director at RTL, explained: “Most of the devices we tried couldn’t read the bar code, as it’s often printed on a shiny or silvery surface. However, the Dolphin 7600 had no problems at all. Despite its impressive features, the Dolphin 7600 is surprisingly light and compact. Its robust design ensures that the device can withstand accidental drops.”

The Dolphin 7600 is available with a Windows Mobile 6 or Windows CE 5.0 operating system. It’s ideal for officers on the beat, as it has GSM/GPRS EDGE, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless communications. Its in-built high-performance imager provides sophisticated bar code scanning, as well as image and signature capture capabilities.

The new system has been on trial in various police forces throughout the UK. Detective chief inspector Paul Maghie of the Hertfordshire Constabulary says, “We’ve seen many benefits of using Apollo. Not only does it eliminate human error and increases speed and efficiency, but if a phone that shows up as stolen on the database is found in someone’s possession, it can give the officers on the street grounds to arrest them.”

Custody staff at the West Midlands Police have been equally impressed and have reported that the Apollo system is both quick and easy to use. The force said that it has made a great contribution towards increasing the detection rate of mobile phone theft.

Gill concluded: “Honeywell’s Dolphin 7600 mobile computers are ideal for our needs. We eventually hope to use them also for other crime detection applications. Apollo is already proving to be a huge help to police officers and 7600s will help us to build upon that capability in the future.”

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