BOBBIES on the beat are to be tracked by computer in an effort to improve the use of resources in North Yorkshire.

The force is to make use of the new Qlikview computer system so it can keep tabs on patrolling officers.

The system will be used to help force controllers decide how best to deploy North Yorkshire's 1,600 police officers.

Tests of the new system began in February in part of the force area and are continuing with a view to it going forcewide.

It is hoped the new software will go live across the whole North Yorkshire force area by the end of the year.

Detective Superintendent Ken McIntosh, of the force's York control room, said: "We do not think we are as efficient as we can be, and providing a better service to the public is one of the areas where we see ourselves improving.

"The process has been revealing, since all the supervisors in the control room were telling me that they had a lack of resources, while Qlikview was able to highlight where there was slack."

Each police officer will log in with their own personal status code each time they start a shift.

The status code will be logged onto a forcewide command system which then tracks each officer's movements.

This allows control room staff to check quickly where officers are so they can mobilise the best units to deal with an incident.

It is also hoped the new system will help to identify and reduce any deficiencies in the force's work.

The system is also used by control room staff who regularly update it with the details of their activities.

And it has seen some control room staff already moved to new jobs within the police force as a result.

It is the latest recent technological move by the force which recently spent 3.6m on handheld computers for officers.

The devices are carried by patrolling officers and allow them to instantly check crime records.

The move is designed to increase the amount of time officers are out on the beat and not in offices.