Avon and Somerset

Avon=20 and Somerset Police Improve Community Liaison Practices

As=20 part of it=92s commitment to enhancing community relations, Avon and = Somerset=20 constabulary operates a number of information kiosks throughout its area = of=20 policing. The kiosks, which are currently situated in police stations = and=20 supermarkets, offer the local community and visitors to the area, a = facility to=20 find out information about the police force, its activities and its = overall=20 performance statistics.

Included=20 as services on the kiosks are; news about the area, local crime = statistics,=20 traffic updates and notices, information about jobs, an overview of = local=20 facilities, contact and employment information and important documents = relevant=20 to the community. The roll out of the kiosks was described as = pioneering,=20 and the force has many plans to extend the service.

Peter=20 Bridger, senior web site programmer, explains, "Phase 2 of the project = went live=20 in December of 2006 as a pilot scheme and was then extended to include = 14 more=20 kiosks this year." Although the constabulary was already offering some=20 facilities through kiosks, Bridger said that it wanted to update and = re-launch=20 them, with new and improved services. To do this it turned to Omega First and SYSTRAN; a = leading player=20 in the translation software market.

"As=20 part of our due diligence, we conducted an investigation into potential = partners=20 and completed some background research on machine based translations. We = approached Omega First, = who=20 introduced us to SYSTRAN. We developed our relationship with Omega First and went forwards = from=20 there."

"We=20 wanted to update the kiosks, adding a touch screen interface to make it = easier=20 for people to use, to find out information. It had to be suitable for a = multi=20 language audience but still needed to have a true community feel about=20 it."

In=20 order to make this possible, the force invested in=20 the SYSTRANLinks solution,=20 an online service that is hosted by SYSTRAN which offers real time = translation=20 in a customisable, multilingual hub. When visitors accessed the = kiosks=20 they would be able to select the language of their choosing and see the = site=20 translated within a few seconds.

The=20 appeal of such a system was immediately apparent to Bridger. "Most = products are=20 software driven, but we needed something more complex so that each kiosk = could=20 operate quickly and effectively. SYSTRANLinks=20 fires information back to SYSTRAN's web site, and returns it when the=20 translation is complete. It literally takes seconds."

The=20 fact that information is stored centrally was also appealing, as it = would let=20 administrators, and the kiosk programmes, continually access any = translations=20 already completed and then re-use them, or if necessary, just edit the=20 information if easier. Bridger says that it currently works with 13 = languages=20 and there are plans to add to this. In particular, they have just = upgraded=20 to include Polish.

"With=20 any translated materials, we use a disclaimer to say that the content = should be=20 used as a rough guide, but we are constantly working with Omega First = and=20 SYSTRAN to review the system and improve the text. We also plan to = introduce regular manual checks =96 as part of a development and = improvement=20 programme =96 to ensure quality control in the future."

The=20 system has already created many benefits for Somerset and Avon's police = forces.=20 Although currently there are just over a dozen kiosks the user = experience has=20 proved to be a positive one, and there are definite plans to roll more = kiosks=20 out.

"We=20 have had good feedback with regards to community policing, it has really = helped=20 the force. Importantly it has also encouraged victims to report = information=20 about crimes that otherwise they may not have. Citizens can now = engage=20 with the police on their own terms, and this ensures a good=20 relationship."

Because=20 of the success of the implementations, Bridger said that plans are now = in place=20 to put kiosks in other areas with heavy people traffic, such as train = stations,=20 airports and bus stations, "the response in the shopping centres has = also been=20 great," he explained.

Other=20 forces, impressed with the results of the system, have now hinted that = they=20 would be interested in rolling out similar services, potentially paving = the way=20 for a nationwide release of kiosks =96 an initiative that would drive = national=20 benefits.