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Roughly sixteen months ago, the New York City Law Department (NYPD) began issuing Windows Phone devices to its officers. The goal was to give officers the power to track 911 calls and access databases of criminal activeness, and allow officers give their own telephone numbers to individuals so they could telephone call the officer direct instead of beingness routed through a switchboard first. It was a surprising move, given that the Windows Phone ecosystem was already on life support at the time, and it was i of the few high-profile wins for Microsoft in the waning days of its platform. And now it's going away.

The NYPD is moving away from Microsoft devices and offering officers the pick of either an iPhone 7 or iPhone seven Plus to use for work. Issues driving the alter include a demand for security updates and overall performance, likewise as the fact that Microsoft isn't investing in Windows Phone or Windows x Mobile any longer. The devices being used in the programme weren't new, even 18 months ago — the Nokia Lumia 830 launched in 2022, while the Microsoft Lumia 640 XL was a 2022 device.

Specific features the iPhones offer include the power to hear 911 calls direct over the phone instead of waiting for dispatch. The New York Daily News reports photos or videos of suspects can be shared in real-time across the network, giving officers faster access to criminal information. These benefits have paid off — the NYPD reports that its response time to calls has dropped by 14 percentage, and in one example officers responding directly to the 911 call were able to halt a robbery in progress.

Simply the NYPD system as well allows for much more specific targeting of which police officers receive alerts, and what kind of data accompanies them. Alerts can exist "geofenced" and sent to officers who are nearby, or broadcast beyond the entire system. Officers who arrive on the scene will know any criminal history at the location, how many 911 calls take been placed from the accost, and if any wanted felons are suspected to live at the location. If a person is in mental or emotional distress, this data volition as well be conveyed, ideally helping the law respond more effectively.

With that said, it's as well possible that having this much information on-hand could paradoxically issue in constabulary making the wrong decisions in how to deal with problems. Telling police force officers when felons might live at an address is useful data only if it's true. Outdated records are a plague on almost every arrangement, and the NYPD is unlikely to be exempt from the problem. Assumptions about the guilt or innocence of individuals on the premises could also increase the chance that people are treated unfairly for a variety of reasons.

There's no denying that technology can be useful in these scenarios, simply we're wary of the stop results. Integrating these avant-garde data services can atomic number 82 to meliorate outcomes, merely it also increases the burden on the police force to brand sure the data is accurate and relevant.