In support of the Strategic Direction of "Embracing the use of technology for policing in the digital age", Information Systems Wing (ISW) has been exploring innovative initiatives and technology to promote the concept of "Smart Policing".

Establishment of Innovation and Solution Lab

The Innovation and Solution Lab (ISL) was established in ISW in September 2019 to take up research and development projects with a view to applying new digital technologies to streamline police work. Headed by Senior Superintendent Hui Chun-wai, the Lab is going to be expanded in the third quarter of 2020 when more members are getting on board.

Dr Hui said, "The ISL is to explore new technologies which could be adapted in the Force setting to improve work efficiency. To apply these technologies most effectively, ISW will bring together frontline officers and its technical professionals to tap into their working knowledge and technical expertise for building systems and applications most suitable for the police operations. The ISL will take the lead in developing and customising applications to meet the specific needs of the user formations."

Apart from its development roles, ISL will conduct technical and market research. Such research will not only strengthen the team's capability in applying new technology but also allow the team to promote the culture of embracing new technologies in the Force through relevant channels.

In the past four months, the ISL worked on projects including head-counting, video streaming and analytics, and speech-to-text technology.

ISW Bulletin

Taking on the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) learning culture and to keep our officers abreast of the on-going ICT projects of ISW, the ISW Bulletin will be issued once every two months. ICT knowledge and products in the market related to police work will also be shared.

The first issue of the bulletin will be available at ISW's Formation site in the Police Intranet (POINT) in early January 2020. Watch out for the first issue in the Force Notice Board.

DP Mobile Launcher

The "DP Mobile Launcher" has recently been developed and is now under intensive pre-release testing. The application allows officers to log into selected Force ICT systems from their Force-issued smart devices using their DP usernames and passwords without having to access through a desktop computer.

Initially, the "DP Mobile Launcher" will include the most commonly used Force IT systems, such as the POINT, e-HR Self-services, DS3 Self-services, Training Management System (TMS), and dedicated operations and management systems authorised for specific posts. In addition, the Force Instant Messaging Application and Mobile Workspace Services (MWS) can also be used after logging into the "DP Mobile Launcher".

Chief Inspector Lo Pui-yan of Business Services Division of ISW said "With the 'DP Mobile Launcher', officers can apply for vacation leave and training courses, and check their duty schedule via the Force smart devices. It is no longer necessary to return to the office for handling these personnel and administrative matters."

Its single sign-on feature saves users from logging into individual Force applications separately and at the same time strengthens the information security of the smart devices.

In the initial stage, the "DP Mobile Launcher" will be implemented on Android smart phones only. ISW will continue to add suitable Force applications to the "DP Mobile Launcher" in order to strengthen the work efficiency and effectiveness. "The Force smart devices will be deployed to frontline officers by phases in the coming years. It is expected that more and more officers can benefit from the convenience of Force smart devices," Ms Lo said.

The "DP Mobile Launcher" will be launched in February 2020. Watch out for the message in the Force Notice Board.