Vodacom has contributed R1 million towards a paperless office solution and software for the South African Police Service (SAPS).
The system will provide police officers with quick access to information.
Vodacom SA MD Shameel Joosub made the announcement at Vodaworld in Midrand yesterday. He said Vodacom also provided the SAPS with 21 printers, scanners and PCs.
The solution will allow the SAPS and Vodacom to communicate by sending and receiving confidential information via e-mail within a safe environment. The system is intended for use in criminal investigations, when the police need information about when and where cellphone calls were made, for example.
Joosub said the project was initially started late last year and would be completed in March.
Shorter turnaround time
[VIDEO]Joosub said the solution speeds up accessing of data by police officers from cellphone service providers, which in turn reduces delays in investigations and arrests.
Willem du Plooy, SAPS senior superintendent, said the new solution only links the SAPS to Vodacom at this stage, not to the other cellphone networks.
He said the solution will be used in investigations into a variety of crimes, including kidnapping and murder.
Getting information about cellphone calls was a time-consuming task in the past, added Du Plooy. "With the paperwork done manually and hand-delivered to a regional Vodacom office, it could take three days to three weeks, depending on where the information requested comes from. The new solution enables us to access information in about a four-hour turnaround time."
Rayman Lalla, SAPS divisional commissioner of crime intelligence, said the SAPS has 11 technical support service offices to act as an interface with different cellular networks.
"The main functions of these units are to support with information requests and interface with the respective investigating officers, receive subpoenas and forward these to the relevant network," he said.
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