A tablet and smartphone trial by Queensland Police has been judged a success, with more iPads and iPhones to be deployed to frontline officers this year.
Last year the state's minister for police, fire and emergency services, Jack Dempsey, revealed that the Queensland Police Service had purchased 400 Apple iPad Minis.
Dempsey today said that an additional 1250 devices will be rolled out by the time of the G20 meeting in Brisbane in November.
The minister said the devices can save each officer 30 minutes per shift in desk time. "Just as significantly officers now have access to crucial information in the palms of their hands, giving our law enforcement teams an immediate ‘leg-up’ in the fight against crime," Dempsey said.
“The technology provides a platform for myriad different functions, and will eventually include applications such as fingerprint and facial recognition technology."
At a press conference the minister described the rollout as "a very historical moment for Queensland". Dempsey said that more capabilities would be added to the devices, including fingerprinting and facial recognition.
Using the QLiTE system police can currently conduct person of interest checks, vehicle checks and driver's licence checks.
In March the minister announced that an upgrade to Brisbane's CCTV network would allow police to access camera footage while on the beat using iPads and smartphones.
“The QLiTE system has been developed by the Queensland Police Service and deployed to officers from Far North Queensland on Thursday Island to Surfers Paradise and remote patrols in the North West of the state, with 1250 more to come in time for G20,” Dempsey said in a statement.
“We have received feedback from officers which shows these devices are successful operational tools, particularly in remote and regional Queensland,” police commissioner Ian Stewart said.
"Officers are getting greater access to operational information where traditionally they would have to rely on radios in areas of bad coverage."
In February Queensland Police announced that the force would be using handheld 3D scanners to map crime scenes.