Australian police using CarPlay – Image Credit: Motorola Solutions
Police in Australia are expanding their usage of CarPlay on the roads, with the in-car infotainment software now used to display information based on surrounding drivers’ license plates.
CarPlay is commonly used by drivers to display app information on a car’s built-in display, enabling them to manage music or see Apple Maps, for example. In Australia, the Police have been taking the concept further, using it for policing matters for a number of years.
In a new development, the Western Australia Police Force has seen an update to its PSCore mobile app to help with automatic number plate recognition (ANPR). Police vehicles in the country are commonly fitted with such systems, which display details about a nearby vehicle on a display, informing police officers of its history and ownership.
As part of an update, Motorola Solutions’ PSCore app, which is used to handle a variety of police information tasks, will now display data from the ANPR system on the police vehicle’s infotainment display, using CarPlay. This provides police with the same functionality as before, but without requiring the installation of brackets and displays that take up space.
“Real-time ANPR data helps to ensure that front-line officers are more aware of potential risks and able to make better decisions,” said Superintendent Dean Snashall, Technology Portfolio, WA Police Force. The app “helps our officers to document incidents faster and more accurately, freeing more of their time to protect our communities.”
So far, the CarPlay ANPR support has been rolled out to more than 80 vehicles in the force’s fleet.
App-based policing
The Western Australian Police Force are well versed in the use of the PSCore app with CarPlay, and has done so for a few years already.
Back in April 2022, Motorola Solutions introduced OneForce Core, based on the PSCore app, which interfaced with CarPlay. While officers would typically use an iPhone or iPad for details of a callout or incident, OneForce Core would streamline the data to the essential points, displaying them in the vehicle using CarPlay.
Officers could also interact with the app using CarPlay, by touching the screen or making verbal commands.
PSCore has been installed on more than 6,000 mobile devices used by the WA Police Force, with it used to share critical information between officers via one interface.
In 2024, it was enhanced with more capabilities to respond to more incidents, including family violence reports. This includes automations to publish family violence reports to the Department of Communities in real time, speeding up referrals to support agencies while police are still in attendance at the scene.
