NYPD begins rolling out 36,000 iPhone 7, 7 Plus handsets to Manhattan cops

Posted:
in iPhone edited February 2018
As part of a planned switch away from Microsoft's defunct Windows Phone platform, the New York Police Department recently began issuing officers their choice of iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus handsets, devices some cops are already lauding as the "ultimate tool" to fight crime.


Source: New York Daily News


Officers from Patrol Borough Manhattan South lined up outside an old police academy in Gramercy Park on Sunday to pick up their new standard issue equipment, and are among the first to receive iPhone as part of a hardware upgrade strategy, reports New York Daily News.

Announced last year, the shift will see some 36,000 Nokia handsets replaced over the coming weeks. Initially purchased in 2014 as part of a $160 million program to modernize police operations, the Nokia phones running Windows Phone will be collected, wiped and sold back to the company.

The move to iPhone 7 comes at no cost to the NYPD, as the handsets are considered upgrades under the agency's contract with AT&T.

NYPD's rollout began last month when officers patrolling the Bronx and Staten Island swapped their obsolete Nokia smartphones for Apple devices. The department is handing out about 600 iPhones per day, according to NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Information and Technology Jessica Tisch.

Officers armed with iPhone will be able to access 911 dispatches, perform criminal background checks, access criminal histories when responding to calls, view video and surveillance photos, and fill out beat reports. The smartphones also make patrolling much safer, as cops responding to a job are provided detailed information about a given address and its potential dangers.

"I truly feel like it's the ultimate tool to have as a patrol cop," said officer Christopher Clampitt. "We get to the location a lot quicker," he said. "By the time the dispatcher puts out the job (on the radio) we're already there."

NYPD dispatches are pushed to the department's 911 app before they reach radios, and can be geofenced to reach only those officers located in a specific neighborhood. Last year, for example, Clampitt and his partner were alerted to, and stopped, a robbery in progress before the dispatcher put word out over radio channels.

The switch to iPhone comes a little over one year after NYPD completed its Windows Phone rollout in 2016. Since then, Microsoft ended support for the mobile platform, leaving New York law enforcement officers with obsolete equipment.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 41
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    I know 36k is a drop in the bucket for Apple's quarterly sales, but this is still a huge get.
    lostkiwiracerhomie3watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 41
    No cost to the department...Nice!! This is a great story. 
    lostkiwiwatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 41
    Can I use Apple Pay for speeding tickets now?

    Just kidding, I haven’t had a ticket in a loooong time.  But police could do some cool things on the Apple platform.  

    They (the county) once sent my registration to my old address.  Paying it immediately would have been cool, no wasting hours in line getting it renewed...

    How about evidence gathering? Filming the sobriety test, checking gun ownership, criminal record, etc.  I sure they have some of this already but I’m all for increasing efficiency.
    lostkiwiMacsplosion
  • Reply 4 of 41
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    Can I use Apple Pay for speeding tickets now?

    Just kidding, I haven’t had a ticket in a loooong time.  But police could do some cool things on the Apple platform.  

    They (the county) once sent my registration to my old address.  Paying it immediately would have been cool, no wasting hours in line getting it renewed...

    How about evidence gathering? Filming the sobriety test, checking gun ownership, criminal record, etc.  I sure they have some of this already but I’m all for increasing efficiency.
    1) You get a timeframe to pay a ticket and you may want to dispute it. However, ApplePay Cash will be usable for bribes. /s

    2) I like that I live in a state where I can register it online. I forget if I can use a CC to do it, or if I need to use a bank routing number. If not for that I'd use a AAA location instead of going anywhere near the DMV (but that might not be available in all states).

    edited February 2018
  • Reply 5 of 41
    Biggest scourge to the top dogs, ultimate tool for rank or/and file. 
  • Reply 6 of 41
    darkvaderdarkvader Posts: 1,146member
    Soli said:
    Can I use Apple Pay for speeding tickets now?

    Just kidding, I haven’t had a ticket in a loooong time.  But police could do some cool things on the Apple platform.  

    They (the county) once sent my registration to my old address.  Paying it immediately would have been cool, no wasting hours in line getting it renewed...

    How about evidence gathering? Filming the sobriety test, checking gun ownership, criminal record, etc.  I sure they have some of this already but I’m all for increasing efficiency.
    1) You get a timeframe to pay a ticket and you may want to dispute it. However, ApplePay Cash will be usable for bribes. /s

    2) I like that I live in a state where I can register it online. I forget if I can use a CC to do it, or if I need to use a bank routing number. If not for that I'd use a AAA location instead of going anywhere near the DMV (but that might not be available in all states).

    I can renew my plate online here, but it costs extra.  It's just as easy to go through the drive-thru when I'm downtown, there's almost never a line and I'm within a few blocks of the courthouse at least a few times a week anyway.
  • Reply 7 of 41
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    But...but... Android... *chirp* *chirp*
    lostkiwiracerhomie3watto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 41



    Source: New York Daily News

    This guy looks very happy!! Good for them!
    fotoformatlostkiwiracerhomie3watto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 41
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    sflocal said:
    But...but... Android... *chirp* *chirp*
    Probably best not to show them the red cape. 

    Though I’m pretty sure that a few regulars are scouring the internet for articles on police forces that use Android phones. 
    edited February 2018 lolliverwatto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 41
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    Mmmm. 

    Dunkin’ Donuts share price sees a surprising 3% jump on the news that they had 30,000 downloads from the Apple App Store overnight. 

    KIDDING!

    Most of the downloads happened during morning roll call. 


    lolliver
  • Reply 11 of 41
    Soli said:
    Can I use Apple Pay for speeding tickets now?

    Just kidding, I haven’t had a ticket in a loooong time.  But police could do some cool things on the Apple platform.  

    They (the county) once sent my registration to my old address.  Paying it immediately would have been cool, no wasting hours in line getting it renewed...

    How about evidence gathering? Filming the sobriety test, checking gun ownership, criminal record, etc.  I sure they have some of this already but I’m all for increasing efficiency.
    1) You get a timeframe to pay a ticket and you may want to dispute it. However, ApplePay Cash will be usable for bribes. /s

    2) I like that I live in a state where I can register it online. I forget if I can use a CC to do it, or if I need to use a bank routing number. If not for that I'd use a AAA location instead of going anywhere near the DMV (but that might not be available in all states).

    How could it be used for bribes? Surely the phone and AppleID would be linked and controlled by the NYPD, not the cop him/herself? Any payment would go to NYPD. Cash in hand could be a bribe and that's been around forever.
  • Reply 12 of 41
    mcdavemcdave Posts: 1,927member
    Here in New Zealand our police are iPhone-based.  They have bespoke apps to log cases and do ‘paperwork’ on the go.  They can even paint road layout diagrams of road traffic accidents with pre-built components (like toy racing car track).  Pretty cool stuff.
    racerhomie3lolliverwatto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 41
    Hopefully lives will be saved.
    Awesome. The cops look happy too.

    lolliverwatto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 41
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    "will be able to access 911 dispatches, perform criminal background checks, access criminal histories when responding to calls, view video and surveillance photos, and fill out beat reports."

    Strange, Since all of those functions will be primarily done while sitting in a car or desk, I would think a Mac or iPad with their larger screens (and keyboards) would do a better job than an iPhone.

    Or, thinking futuristicly, awhile back somebody showed a mock-up of an iPhone being used to drive a keyboard & screen -- sort of a laptop where the iPhone provides the motherboard, CPU, GPU, storage, memory and communications...
  • Reply 15 of 41
    blastdoorblastdoor Posts: 3,258member
    I wonder if they picked the iPhone because they know from experience trying to hack into them how secure they are ;-) 
    radarthekatlolliverwatto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 41
    jcs2305jcs2305 Posts: 1,336member
    adm1 said:
    Soli said:
    Can I use Apple Pay for speeding tickets now?

    Just kidding, I haven’t had a ticket in a loooong time.  But police could do some cool things on the Apple platform.  

    They (the county) once sent my registration to my old address.  Paying it immediately would have been cool, no wasting hours in line getting it renewed...

    How about evidence gathering? Filming the sobriety test, checking gun ownership, criminal record, etc.  I sure they have some of this already but I’m all for increasing efficiency.
    1) You get a timeframe to pay a ticket and you may want to dispute it. However, ApplePay Cash will be usable for bribes. /s

    2) I like that I live in a state where I can register it online. I forget if I can use a CC to do it, or if I need to use a bank routing number. If not for that I'd use a AAA location instead of going anywhere near the DMV (but that might not be available in all states).

    How could it be used for bribes? Surely the phone and AppleID would be linked and controlled by the NYPD, not the cop him/herself? Any payment would go to NYPD. Cash in hand could be a bribe and that's been around forever.
    Thanks for breaking down a joke and taking all of the fun out of it. 
    edited February 2018 randominternetpersonSolilolliverfastasleepwatto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 41
    JFC_PAJFC_PA Posts: 932member
    "will be able to access 911 dispatches, perform criminal background checks, access criminal histories when responding to calls, view video and surveillance photos, and fill out beat reports."

    Strange, Since all of those functions will be primarily done while sitting in a car or desk, I would think a Mac or iPad with their larger screens (and keyboards) would do a better job than an iPhone.

    Or, thinking futuristicly, awhile back somebody showed a mock-up of an iPhone being used to drive a keyboard & screen -- sort of a laptop where the iPhone provides the motherboard, CPU, GPU, storage, memory and communications...
    NYPD walk foot patrols. The iPhone is just the right mobile tool. 
    GeorgeBMaclolliverwatto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 41
    iPhones are not made for people who work outside for a living. They are far too fragile and temperamental.  

    The NYPD is going to be pissed less than two years from now when all these iPhone 7s are throttled "for the their benefit".

    Ya' know, 'cause the batteries go bad on iPhones for people who actually use them often. And the are people sitting in offices in California know what is good for police officers in New York City. And somehow those distant people have control over those phones whether is the perceived age of the battery or one of the many of the required updates.

    Unfortunately you never really own an iPhone.
    williamlondon
  • Reply 19 of 41
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    darkvader said:
    Soli said:
    Can I use Apple Pay for speeding tickets now?

    Just kidding, I haven’t had a ticket in a loooong time.  But police could do some cool things on the Apple platform.  

    They (the county) once sent my registration to my old address.  Paying it immediately would have been cool, no wasting hours in line getting it renewed...

    How about evidence gathering? Filming the sobriety test, checking gun ownership, criminal record, etc.  I sure they have some of this already but I’m all for increasing efficiency.
    1) You get a timeframe to pay a ticket and you may want to dispute it. However, ApplePay Cash will be usable for bribes. /s

    2) I like that I live in a state where I can register it online. I forget if I can use a CC to do it, or if I need to use a bank routing number. If not for that I'd use a AAA location instead of going anywhere near the DMV (but that might not be available in all states).

    I can renew my plate online here, but it costs extra.  It's just as easy to go through the drive-thru when I'm downtown, there's almost never a line and I'm within a few blocks of the courthouse at least a few times a week anyway.
    I've noticed that any government web site I use to pay for stuff seems to actually charge more for an online service, or put it another way, they discount pushing paper.  Leaves me a little puzzled I must say.
    randominternetperson
  • Reply 20 of 41
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,275member
    "will be able to access 911 dispatches, perform criminal background checks, access criminal histories when responding to calls, view video and surveillance photos, and fill out beat reports."

    Strange, Since all of those functions will be primarily done while sitting in a car or desk, I would think a Mac or iPad with their larger screens (and keyboards) would do a better job than an iPhone.

    Or, thinking futuristicly, awhile back somebody showed a mock-up of an iPhone being used to drive a keyboard & screen -- sort of a laptop where the iPhone provides the motherboard, CPU, GPU, storage, memory and communications...
    Many, many NYPD officers never see the inside of a car when working. This isn't the suburbs.
    lukeiNotsofastGeorgeBMaclolliver
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