It’s hard to say if iOS devices will help fight crime in the land of the kiwi, but it’s worth a try.
Per Electronista, the New Zealand Police will be issuing 6,000 frontline officers with iPhones. Of those officers, a further 3,900 will also receive an iPad in an outsourcing deal with Vodafone worth US$159 million over ten years, including cellular charges. According to the NZ Police chief information officer Stephen Crombie, Apple’s iPhone and iPad lines were chosen following officer feedback after an 11-month trial.
“Based on frontline officer feedback from the trial (over 100 staff in four districts trialled smartphones, laptops and tablets over an 11-month period) the preferred devices are the iPhone as smartphone and iPad for the tablet,” Crombie told the National Business Review. “The approach used to develop the applications means Police can move to other devices with relative ease as technology changes,” he added.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.