Just as criminals are using technology to carry out ever more sophisticated crimes, the police are adopting equally high-tech solutions in a bid to beat them at their own game.

And perhaps the most visible form of police technology is contained in the humble panda car, which is now regarded as a mobile police station for forces up and down the country.

But it is Hertfordshire Police, in conjunction with a number of technology suppliers and blue-light vehicle market leader Vauxhall, which is pushing the boundaries of mobile technology.

It is currently trialling 10 specially modified Astras which have been built at the Vauxhall Special Vehicles operation at Millbrook (see box out). These cars incorporate a Panasonic Toughpad mobile tablet which can be docked into the vehicle and then operated via a touchscreen monitor located on the centre console.

The trial cars also come with a 4G mobile broadband router located in the boot. The result is a police car with its own wireless hotspot (of up to around 30 metres from the car) which also has a direct link through the tablet device to various back office functions such as the police headquarters server, the Police National Computer and the Automatic Number Plate Recognition system database.

This mobile solution also allows for numerous time-saving applications. For instance, the police headquarters can send the location of a crime to the car’s built-in satellite navigation so officers can be directed to the scene as quickly as possible. The integrated tablet also allows officers to reduce paperwork by issuing online warrants and filing crime reports on the computer, as well as using the built-in camera to take photographs or video from a crime scene.

The initial response from frontline officers to the new tablet and mobile solution in the car has been so positive that Hertfordshire has already ordered 50 of its current fleet to be retro-fitted with the technology. In total it will equip 86 vehicles with the mobile solution technology.

Speaking at the launch of the fleet trial, Hertfordshire chief constable Andy Bliss said: ‘We are always looking for the advantage in fighting crime and this is making us more efficient.

‘Criminals are using technology more and more and this mobile solution gives us the ability to put more police officers on the beat.’

And according to Vauxhall Special Vehicles manager, Dick Ellam, the Hertfordshire trial will result in other forces following suit and adopting the technology.

He said: ‘This is ground-breaking as Hertfordshire Police has got all of this technology working together.

‘Efficiency is a priority and the investment made in these cars will mean officers spend more time fighting crime. And it will be a domino effect – other forces will adopt this because of the savings being made.’

But it is not just efficiency savings, as Vauxhall’s specialist work in producing blue light fleet vehicles is also saving emergency forces money on more traditional fleet aspects.

All the cars produced by Vauxhall Special Vehicles have been designed not only with ease of use in mind, but also with easy de-fleet operations, too.

Police cars generally carry a huge amount of technology which will still be operable for many years after the vehicle it was originally fitted to has been decommissioned. As a result, Vauxhall engineers the fitment of the technology to make as little impact on the car as possible, for instance avoiding drilling holes in bodywork or interior panels.

Ellam added: ‘Budget cuts mean that a lot of kit in police cars will have two or three lifecycles.

‘As part of our service, we can take the vehicle back, decommission it, auction the car off and then fit the recycled technology into a new vehicle.

‘The key is keeping residual values up. Police cars generally have a hard life over four or five years, but a well maintained model can be worth up to £500 more at auction.’

VAUXHALL SPECIAL VEHICLES

Vauxhall is the market leader when it comes to supplying the emergency services and enjoys an 80% share of the police vehicle market.

It operates its Vauxhall Special Vehicles facility at Millbrook Proving Ground where it produces turn-key solutions, from fast response cars to prisoner cell vans.

All vehicles are taken from the regular production line and converted on site, where they are also crash tested to ensure occupant and pedestrian safety. All the work done comes under the same warranty as the base vehicle, and the car can be serviced at a regular Vauxhall dealer (with a couple of exceptions). Just as simple is the fact that the car comes with one invoice, rather than myriad bills from specialist suppliers and converters.

Vauxhall Special Vehicles manager Dick Ellam said: ‘We are the only manufacturer who understands what the customer wants – we build, design and test these cars and then deliver a turn-key vehicle which is immediately fit for purpose.’

The department offers blue light conversions on the majority of the Vauxhall car and van range (there are currently no plans to offer 999-spec versions of the Adam, Agila or Cascada, although versions of the Ampera EV are already in service).

It has also been instrumental in developing ultra-high tech policing solutions through a consortium which won a special challenge set down by the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Home Office’s Centre for Applied Science and Technology. These bodies asked the consortium to build the police car of the future and the resulting Astra Sports Tourer sported features such as automatic vehicle and driver monitoring, face recognition software and full integration with mobile devices owned by the public which will allow uploads of items such as pictures of missing people or photographs of stolen property.