Police officers spend more time on patrol with form patrol

Lancashire Constabulary successfully trials Form Patrol, the electronic
ticketing and forms application

An electronic forms system, trialled by Lancashire Constabulary's Eastern
Division Road Policing Unit, has increased the visibility of officers to the public by up to one hour per shift per officer.

It has also demonstrated a significant reduction in paperwork, resulting in less frustration for officers and more efficient and accurate ticketing.

Called Form Patrol, the electronic forms system provided by HeliMedia, replaces traditional paper-based processes and is the first mobile data application in the UK used to issue Fixed Penalty Notices. It was also used in the trial to issue eight types of other e-forms including Stop and Search forms.

Following the trial, a full evaluation report has been written by Lancashire
Constabulary and HeliMedia Ltd and is available to other police forces.

Stuart Fillingham, head of ICT at Lancashire comments:

"The current process for issuing fixed penalty notices requires officers to carry a batch of blank forms with them, these are then completed by hand at
the scene of the incident, a copy given to the recipient, then on their return to station the officer then puts the completed form in the internal mail where it goes via supervision to an input bureau. The time delay can be days and
about 20% of forms are returned to officers with queries or errors. "

A key advantage of using Form Patrol is the speed at which intelligence is collected and disseminated into Lancashire's own intelligence database, known as 'Sleuth'.

Critical intelligence gathered whilst carrying out Stop and Search duties can be made available to officers in a matter of hours, rather than days, as used in the traditional paper process.

In the current climate of on-going threats to public security, including
terrorism and organised crime, the ability to have up-to-date intelligence at an officer's fingertips is invaluable.

Stuart Fillingham continues:

"By utilising hand held computers (PDAs) and printing devices, we are able to directly complete e-forms at the scene and by docking the device and data when the officer returns to the station, we are able to speed up the process, reduce officer time, improve public service and present accurate information to the bureau."

Simon Hall, Managing Director of HeliMedia, concludes:

"Lancashire Constabulary has always been at the vanguard of new technology.
We have been very pleased to take part in this trial to investigate the benefits
of mobile data and the reduction in bureaucracy that it can bring."

The full report was released on 15 January 2008 and is available to police
forces and government agencies.

About Form Patrol

Form Patrol is a new, easy-to-use software system which replaces traditional paper-based ticketing.

Form Patrol runs on handheld computers such as Windows Mobile® devices, together with a back end which integrates with the police's existing systems such as intelligence databases and central ticket office facilities. Ticket and form designs are fully configurable.

About HeliMedia

HeliMedia Limited is a UK company, based in Cheltenham. It is registered to
AS/EN9110 (ISO 9001:2000) and is a member of the Association of Police and
Public Security Suppliers (APPSS).

HeliMedia operates in two core markets. First, it has an established
reputation in the UK for providing international companies - who specialize
in Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) solutions - with sales and critical in-country customer service and support. In particular, HeliMedia focuses on airborne surveillance and microwave communications systems.

The second market for HeliMedia is that of mobile data, where HeliMedia focuses on three core segments. These include electronic forms applications, ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition), and biometrics (fingerprint identification/facial recognition).

Core markets include UK police and public security organisations, government
agencies and commercial institutions.

For more information, please contact

Simon Hall,
HeliMedia Ltd
Aerotech Business Park,
Bamfurlong Lane,
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL51 6TU
Tel: 01452 857155
Email: info@helimedia.co.uk

Website: www.helimedia.co.uk