South Australia Police Goes Digital, Giving Officers More Time to Serve the Community
The South Australia Police (SAPOL) serves the Australian state of South Australia and provides a wide range of policing services to protect the public. The police force embraced technology to improve their capabilities but faced challenges with connectivity before turning to Absolute.
The Transformation to a Digital Workforce
As part of its ambitious digital transformation goals, the SAPOL wanted to go completely paperless and reduce the time it took to write reports. Using their legacy VPN solution, devices would frequently lose secure handshakes or connectivity when transitioning to and from vehicles, switching between networks even when being placed in hardwired docks. SAPOL needed reliable connectivity for its patrol vehicles, its four-wheel drive units, helicopters, and its staff members working in remote areas without cellular coverage. Worst of all, the organization had no way of knowing when officers in the field lost connectivity and would not be able to reach the Communications Center.
Absolute Secure Access provides the backbone for all the new technologies…including signature capture and integrating body-worn video.
How They Did It
Secure Remote Access Allows Officers to Access Data and Write Reports From Anywhere
In response, SAPOL has built out a network that allows it to be truly agile. Absolute Secure Access allows officers to complete all of their paperwork from anywhere in the field, even in the remotest of areas. They can now capture statements, take notes, search for and access data, and write reports while responding to incidents on the road. This has reduced the time officers spend at their desks—as much as two hours per officer per shift—giving them more time to be out in the field. The data-gathering capabilities, dashboards, and indicators of Absolute Secure Access provide valuable information about device usage and coverage. Best of all, the efficiencies and cost-reductions gained mean that Absolute Secure Access pays for itself.
Immediate Results Leads to Further Expansion
The eight different types of vehicles in the patrol fleet, including helicopters and four-wheel drive units for use in remote areas, are all equipped with mobile devices running Absolute Secure Access. Success in the field has led SAPOL to expand the program. Executives and senior officers have been furnished with enterprise-class tablets running Absolute Secure Access “because the leadership knows the product is so reliable,” Cizauskas said.
Modernizing the Police Force Allows More Time to Serve the Community
SAPOL officers capture statements, perform research, and make reports directly in the field, allowing them to spend more time out in the community. Network status is easily monitored, and the savings gained allow the system to pay for itself.
To date, Absolute Secure Access has:
- Provided time savings of up to two hours per officer per shift
- Allows officers to now capture statements, access data, and write reports in the field
- Provides a more reliable coverage area, reducing safety risks for officers
- Enables seamless network access for eight different types of vehicles
- Improves efficiencies, resulting in a solution that pays for itself
