Smartphone app has potential to transform policing in Mayo

MAYO Chief Supt Pat Diskin promised today that if trials of a new smartphone app by gardai in Limerick are successful then the system will be extended to Mayo and all other garda districts in the country.

The senior officer was asked about the new Garda app which is being trialled in Limerick city and county, by Councillor Michael Loftus at a joint policing committee meeting in Castlebar.

The high-tech system, part of the Garda ACTIVE Mobility Strategy, allows officers check a vehicle’s history and tax and insurance status while on the move.

After six months the pilot will be evaluated and a decision and a decision made on whether to expand the service further in Limerick and other areas.

Asked by Councillor Loftus today whether the system will be extended to Mayo, Chief Supt Diskin said initial results from the pilot programme are ‘positive’.

Mayo will be included when and if a decision is made to extend the smartphone system to other garda districts, the chief superintendent stated.

“It (the new system) is a win, win for everybody”, he continued.

Under the pilot, 50 selected gardai, using what is described as a Mobile Data Station, are able to view a vehicle’s history and tax and insurance simply by entering the registration number into the app.

NCT compliance can also be determined.

Use of the app may also lead to fixed charge notices being issued at roadside.

According to David Sheehan, Chief Superintendent, Limerick Division, the new app reduces the need for officers to be desk bound and enable them to get their job done more efficiently and effectively.