NYPD To Throw Away 36,000 Windows Phones, iPhone Is Up

Last year, the New York Police Department issued over 36,000 smartphones to its police officers, which were equipped with the Windows OS. Since that particular product is no longer being supported, the department is faced with the dilemma of having to get rid of these phones. They will be replacing them with iPhones, which should give Apple a fit of the giggles.

It was back in October of 2016 when the NYPD decided to equip its forces with what was essentially a smartphone OS on life support. Fast-forward nearly a year later and the department heads have finally realized that the thousands of gadgets its men and women were supplied with are essentially useless. It’s a pity too since it did cost taxpayers $160 million, Business Insider reports.

"The NYPD has begun the process of transitioning to iPhones. The new devices will be deployed starting this fall, with the same applications that have led to an 8% reduction in response times," a spokesperson for the department said.

Then again, it would seem that the iPhones that the officers will be getting this time come at no cost, except for software fees. What’s more, it would appear that the acquisition actually came under 45 percent of the budget according to the spokesperson.

The New York Post was actually the first publication to break this news and in its article, people within the department appear to be putting the blame behind the fiasco on Jessica Tisch. Tisch is the NYPD Information Technology Deputy Commissioner that is said to have pushed for the Windows Phone purchase. Sources are now clearly pinning the mess on her.

“Nobody purchases 36,000 phones based on the judgment of one person,” a source told the publication. “I don’t care if you’re Jesus f- -king Christ, you get a panel of experts.”