Split police force gets technical.
The operational-communication centre of the Split-Dalmatia Police Department has moved to newly renovated rooms which are equipped with completely new and modern equipment and information technology. New software and hardware allow greater operational capabilities for police officers and faster arrival to the scene of a crime from the moment of receiving the information. In order to standardize police work and achieve better operational level, the Split-Dalmatia Police Department has begun with the implementation of the E-Police project, reports Vecernji List on October 10, 2015.
Police officers in the field, official vehicles and police stations will be equipped with mobile devices, which allow police officers permanent access to the information system of the Ministry of Interior. Operational-communication centre will automatically send information about the events of interest to mobile devices of police officers or police patrols. In the same way, police officers will receive their orders and work schedule. After the work is done, the documents will automatically become their official reports, thereby avoiding the need to now go to the police station in order to create a report, which will allow greater availability of police on the streets. Police communication centres will know at all times the position of all police patrols and police officers, as well as the status of their work orders, which is important for the effective management.
In addition to mobile devices, police officers are now equipped with cameras which record their activities. The cameras can be worn on parts of the official uniforms and can also be used in official vehicles. The main objective of the cameras is to protect police officers from unfounded complaints by citizens, which creates negative image of the police in public, even though the treatment is almost always carried out in accordance with rules and regulations, but also to protect citizens from possible inappropriate conduct by police officers. The images can later be used in criminal and misdemeanour proceedings, provided that the persons being recorded have received prior notification that they were being filmed.
Citizens will also be able to anonymously report events through application for mobile phones. Reports will be accompanied by images from the camera or the memory of the mobile device. If the mobile device provides location, that information will also be sent to the central portal of the Ministry of Interior, from where it will be forwarded to the relevant field unit. The application will be available for download to all citizens, depending on the type of smartphone they have. Urgent calls by citizens will still be made through the phone number 192.
