UK Police Adopt New System to Extract Data from Phones

The Metropolitan Police in the United Kingdom has started the roll out of a new system that's capable of extracting data from mobile phones extremely quickly. The technology comes from Radio Tactics and is called ACESO. The data extraction solution will be used across 16 boroughs in the capital. ACESO allows police to quickly extra data from the mobile phones (even SIM locked phones) of suspects while they're in custody.

The Metropolitan Police will be using the ACESO Kiosk, which is a touchscreen desktop set-up. Deputy Assistant Commission of the Metropolitan Police Service, Stephen Kavanagh, explained that it will be used when a suspect is arrested and found with a phone that police suspect may have been used in crime. Kavanagh said traditional methods of data extraction involve sending the phone to the lab for analysis while the new system will give officers immediate access to the phone's data while the suspect is still in custody.

"Mobile phones and other devices are increasingly being used in all levels of criminal activity," Stephen Kavanagh, Deputy Assistant Commission of the Metropolitan Police Service," said in a statement. "Our ability to act on forensically-sound, time-critical information, from SMS to images contained on a device quickly gives us an advantage in combating crime, notably in terms of identifying people of interest quickly and progressing cases more efficiently," he later added.

As many as 300 Met personnel will be trained on the system.

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Jane McEntegart is a writer, editor, and marketing communications professional with 17 years of experience in the technology industry. She has written about a wide range of technology topics, including smartphones, tablets, and game consoles. Her articles have been published in Tom's Guide, Tom's Hardware, MobileSyrup, and Edge Up.