New York City mayor, top cop, DA announce major NYPD technology initiative

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, NYPD Commissioner William Bratton and Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance on Thursday announced a major initiative to transform the way police officers perform their duties.

Using criminal asset forfeiture funds secured by the DA's office through recent sanctions cases, the $160 million NYPD Mobility Initiative will provide officers with up to 41,000 mobile devices, including tablet computers and handheld devices that will streamline law enforcement efforts, increase the safety of New Yorkers as well as police officers, and ensure fairness within the City's criminal justice system.

"We are sobered by the events happening around the world, we are sobered by the events in Canada," de Blasio said. "But there are still steps forward, and today, we are announcing a major step forward in the war against cyber crime, in the war against terrorism."

The initiative will upgrade the NYPD's mobile technology platform and fund it over the next three years, allowing the department to outfit up to 6,000 police cars with "ruggedized" tablet computers, as well as provide 35,000 handheld devices to every police officer.

"We must have 21st Century tools to deal with 21st Century threats, and this infusion of new resources will arm our officers with the technology and information they need to fight crime and protect the city against terrorism more efficiently and more effectively," de Blasio said. "In an emergency, every minute counts, and this initiative will allow our officers in the field to get up-to-date, accurate information and process critical information anywhere in the city."

The handheld devices will provide police officers with a variety of tools, including state-of-the-art terror and crime-fighting technologies that have been developed in the last decade. For example, the NYPD has developed a mobile version of the Domain Awareness System (DAS) that the department pioneered in the past five years to detect and prevent terrorist acts.

Like the DAS itself, the mobility platform, including the hardware that supports it and the applications that run on it, was built separate from the rest of the NYPD's technology systems, which are somewhat dated. With the funding, the NYPD will now be in a position to expand its functionality to help in other crime-fighting and public service efforts.

"This technology funding will significantly help to advance the NYPD's move into 21st Century policing," Bratton said. "The timely access to critical information is key to effective policing and enhanced public safety. This initiative will clearly result in more efficient crime-fighting, counter-terrorism measures and service to the people of New York City."

The new NYPD Mobility technology will also include:

--Enhanced Patrol Efficiencies: Patrol officers will have expanded search capabilities, including access to the majority of NYPD databases, and will be able to conduct various record checks from the field in a timelier manner. The tablets and handheld devices will also have the capability of directly receiving information pertaining to 911 emergency calls, often prior to radio dispatch, enabling swifter response to crimes in progress and requests for service. Programs are being developed through which officers will have the capability to enter reports in the field and to process other data without returning to the precinct.

--Officer Safety Features: Real-time 911 data, including call-taker notes, the past history of 911 calls, and complaints and police actions at dispatched locations will be available to responding officers. These features will help to provide potentially relevant and critical information about the location to which they are responding. Additional features, including GPS applications, are being explored. This technology will assist officers through mapping features and help to identify other police resources for back-up and response coordination purposes. GPS will also assist in more efficient management of patrol resources.

--Detective Support: Detectives working active cases in the field will have access to the full range of investigative databases, creating a virtual portable Real Time Crime Center. The detectives will be tied into the Department's Enterprise Case Management System, allowing them to review and update case information from the field.

--Direct and Decentralized Communications: Wanted posters, Amber Alerts and missing persons photos can be sent to field officers immediately, thus enhancing the potential for a more timely arrest, victim recovery or rescue.

--Enhanced Communication: Email addresses will be established for all officers to improve Department communications across the board.

--Counterterrorism Force Multiplier: The ability to promptly alert field officers will have particular benefits for possible counterterrorism issues. Alerts will be transmitted directly to officers in the field through their electronic devices, thus providing critical information and updates in a timely and coordinated manner.

It is expected that further functionality will be added to the mobile platform next year, including the integration of fingerprint scanning to support in-field identity checks.