WA government rolls out iPhone 11 handsets to police

WA Police officers will get their hands on the latest Apple iPhone 11 handsets as part of an $8 million deal signed with Telstra.

The first 60 smartphones have been issued this week according to an announcement by the WA police minister Michelle Roberts.

A further 3000 devices are expected to be in the hands of WA Police officers by Christmas.

The devices are equipped for what WA Police described as "crucial" police force functions, offering officers with the same resources as a computer. They include apps that will allow for identity checks, searches of the police database, evidence capture and filing crime reports.

The smartphones also contain a duress function that sends an alert to the State Operations Command Centre, providing the officer's location.

"These devices will ensure our officers have fast access to information and intelligence in the field, and support them to do their jobs more effectively," Roberts said in a statement.

She said that the local government is ensuring that a "modern police force is ready and equipped with the tools they need to keep us safe".

WA Police has plans to add more apps to allow officers to take statements in the field.

In late October, WA Police awarded NEC a $39 million networking contract for WAN, LAN and Cisco IP telephony services covering more than 200 sites across the state. A contract on Tenders WA, however, shows that the four-year contract is estimated at $89 million.

WA Police has rolled out 1145 body worn cameras so far as part of a plan to have all 4000 officers equipped with the devices by November 2020.

Computerworld has reached out to WA Police and Telstra for further details.