Safety and security

Fighting crime with mobile technology

We want everyone to enjoy the benefits of mobile phones without fear of injury or risk to their personal safety.

Mobile communications are becoming an important means of investigation. In all our markets we work with law-enforcement agencies to help fight crime, from incidents in local communities to areas of national security.

Our work on crime prevention, security and safety is supported by the O2 Airwave service in the UK, which will enable the police forces and other emergency and public services to work securely with each other for the first time.

Main users will include the three emergency services in England - the police, ambulance and fire and rescue services - by 2009. Other users already include the British Transport Police, UK Immigration and the Ministry of Defence. During the year we also developed an interim solution that enables O2 Airwave services to operate underground in tube stations.

Many police forces can now access the Police National Computer from their handsets, enabling them to check names and vehicle registrations in seconds.

The O2 Airwave service is encrypted so it cannot be scanned or monitored by outsiders. We believe this will make Britain safer by creating effective ways of working and providing a ‘joined-up’ public safety service.

The UK Government is increasingly investing in new technology to improve crime prevention and detection and public safety measures, enabling O2 Airwave to help safety organisations develop their services.

We also work with the police in all our markets to combat crime in the community. We are particularly concerned about giving children the education and skills they need, through schools and parents, to keep safe.

During the year, public attention was drawn to the practice of ‘happy slapping’. This inappropriate term refers to incidents where people have recorded photographically criminal muggings or beatings on mobile phones or other photographic equipment. We give guidance on how to use camera phones responsibly and we work with police if they need evidence on camera phone related crime. See also bullying.