Vic Police delays rollout of 10,000 Apple devices

A 10,000 Apple device rollout to the Victoria Police that was expected to start in the middle of 2017 has been pushed to the end of the year.

A Victoria Police spokesperson told ARN the delay is due to complexities of the IT build.

“The rollout of the devices has been revised and will occur late-2017," the spokesperson said. "The revised scheduling is due to the complexities of the IT build and allows for comprehensive testing.

"Our timeframes are on track for our overarching commitment of 10,000 devices over the next five years."

The initial delivery will include access to information from LEAP [Law Enforcement Assistance Program], according to the Victoria Police spokesperson.

Motorola Solutions won the $58.3 million contract in March and it leads a consortium, which includes Optus, CompNow and its own Gridstone, to deliver the project.

Gridstone, the Collingwood-based mobile application developer that Motorola Solutions acquired in November 2016, is responsible for building and delivering the mobile application, mPol, which provides officers with real-time access to information.

The police force opened the tender process in July 2016 for the mobility managed service.

In April, Police Minister Lisa Neville announced that the five-year contract had been awarded to Motorola Solutions and included iPhones, iPad minis, mobile network services, applications and support services. At the time, Neville said the rollout was set to begin from the middle of the year.

Optus is responsible for the provision of the carrier network solution to enable connectivity, while services provider CompNow is in charge of the supply of the Apple devices, logistics and device repair services.

“These new devices will mean officers spend more time in the community, and less time stuck behind a desk,” Neville said at the time.

Victoria Police reaffirmed that the project is underway.

“Victoria Police’s Mobile Technology Project, which is part of BlueConnect, is underway and will provide police with access to operational information in the field through the deployment of mobile devices,” said a spokesperson.

“The project will provide frontline members with better and easier access to information, which will improve safety, operational decision-making and policing outcomes.”