New South Wales Police Force to Deploy iPad Minis for Use in Traffic Citations

Members of the New South Wales police force located in Australia have begun a four-week trial program to allow officers the use of iPad minis when issuing traffic citations to drivers, reports Australian tech site Delimiter (via TUAW). Specifically, the deployed iPad minis are pre-loaded with an app called “Mobile Notices”, which is developed by Australian app maker Gridstone and allows officers to retrieve driver history, photos, vehicle information and license information from police databases.

If a citation is issued, the driver can opt to receive a PDF of the ticket via email or text, delivered right then and there (provided that the officer is within range of a compatible network). Lembit Pikkat, director of Grindstone, notes that no information gathered by the remote officers is stored on their iPads. Instead, it's all sent to the central police database for secure storage.

Earlier this year, Apple redesigned the iPad in Business section of its website and spotlighted the Redlands Police Department, which highlighted the police force’s use of the iPad and iOS devices for live information, communication, and real-time maps.

Apple is set to release the latest version of its mobile operating system, iOS 7, tomorrow. The company has also highlighted the benefits of the new software update for businesses on a dedicated page.