The roll-out of mobile devices by Police Scotland has freed up more than 400,000 hours of officer time in just one year, the service has revealed.

The equipment was originally pioneered last summer in Tayside, where officers there became the first in

Scotland to use the devices as part of their duties.

Response, community and frontline specialist officers in all 13 of Police Scotland’s divisions have since been equipped with devices enabling them to access a wide range of police systems without the requirement to return to their station and log on to a computer.

The increased functionality and ability to conduct checks and process administrative tasks whilst on the go has saved officers a total of 444,496 hours, Police Scotland said.

Hailing the development, superintendent Craig Smith, of Police Scotland’s Digitally Enabled Policing Programme, said: “Mobile working for response, community officers and frontline specialist officers is a major milestone which is positively changing the operational policing approach in Scotland.

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"Our officers now have vital information at their fingertips meaning they can react quickly when dealing with incidents, searching for missing people who could be extremely vulnerable or investigating crimes.

“This piece of kit is revolutionising the way officers work and is helping to keep people safe.

“The devices will be further enhanced over time with the addition of future policing applications, including national systems as they become available.”

Previously, when officers dealt with a crime, they would have to return to base to record details of the incident on the appropriate systems and to complete paperwork. Statements which traditionally would be written into a notebook and transcribed, are now typed directly to the device through the digital notebook function Pronto.

Officers can now carry out their own checks which could previously only be done via the area control room. When investigating missing person enquiries, officers can now upload and share images immediately with fellow officers which is a vital tool when time is critical.

David Crichton, vice-chair of the Scottish Police Authority said: “The introduction of mobile working was much needed and has brought real benefits to the police and the public by making the service more responsive, visible and efficient.

“Communities are better served and better protected as a result and the Authority is committed to making the case for continued investment in technology to ensure that policing in Scotland keeps pace with changing needs and demands‎.”

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “I am very pleased to see that the investment in mobile technology has released considerable police officer time in just one year.”