Bring the station to the field

June 21, 2010
When officers are on a call what they need most is information in real time, with no irrelevant information to get in the way.

When officers are en route to a call, what they need most is information in real time: All the relevant information that can be obtained, with no irrelevant information to get in the way. Mobile solutions that provide real-time information about a situation through access to multiple databases and platforms from within one robust application enhance interoperability, information sharing, collaboration and much more.

Whether it’s a routine traffic stop, missing person or major incident response, law enforcement is becoming increasingly reliant on mobile computing power for mission critical applications that make collecting, tracking and managing evidence faster, safer, more operationally efficient and cost-effective.

Next generation platforms, such as Next Generation of Public Safety technology from Motorola, establishes the building blocks extending from the mission critical core for first-responders to realizing true mobile broadband connection speeds and access to rich-media applications delivered on advanced collaborative data devices.

These next generation of public safety solutions will maximize operational effectiveness by converging voice, image, data, and video communications from a multimedia, integrated command center and extend the reach of current mission critical communications networks. This will connect critical resources across agencies and jurisdictions, and between mission-critical two-way and broadband networks. With stronger networks and greater capabilities, public safety agencies can supplement voice with rich data and video content to empower first responders with the best information when and where it matters most to best serve and protect their communities.

Today’s highly advanced mobile applications are the partners that provide this information in real-time on ruggedized mobile units that are reliable and easy to use even under the most stressful conditions. All this technology dramatically enhances situational awareness for command center dispatchers, supervisors and first responders with real-time collaboration.

Communications is crucial for public safety. Users in mission critical environments – safe-guarding the public, protecting property, and providing first response – all require immediate information and preemptive intelligence. Safety and success depend on the right information at the right time – whether it’s a call that comes in over the radio, suspect information arriving in a bulletin, or real-time video while en route to an incident.

For years now, laptop computers have been widely used by public safety officers in the field. That’s evolving as departments recognize the practical benefits of vehicle-mounted workstations. Although laptops may be considered more portable, the reality is that the combination of size, shape, design and weight can make them cumbersome and difficult to use. Vehicle-mounted workstations are designed to outperform laptops with superior ergonomics, more connectivity options, brighter displays, and wider range of operating temperatures.

Law enforcement solutions like license plate recognition, e-Citation, mobile fingerprint identification, facial recognition and records management are just some of the wireless tools now on the belts and in the squad cars of first responders, bringing the police station to the field and simplifying the on-scene collection, dissemination and management of evidence without having to return to headquarters.

For example, license plate information is automatically captured in motion and data base comparisons made in less than a second through automated license plate recognition technology (ALPR). Able to quickly deliver and read numerous vehicle license plates, the technology checks collected data against an installed database for rapid identity verification. ALPR systems have been used to locate stolen or wanted vehicles, apprehend fleeing criminals and identify drivers who are overdue on parking-ticket payments. Rapidly deployable ALPR solutions use rugged infrared cameras that connect to optical character recognition technology software, allowing police officers to conduct surveillance under varied lighting and weather conditions. Captured information is immediately processed, and officers are alerted only when a hit occurs. In the past, officers would call in license plates to command centers where officers would look up the information and verify whether or not red flags were associated with the vehicle; a painstaking process lacking in efficiency.

This efficiency can be best illustrated by the single shift; an officer can manually check 50 to 100 license plates yet during the same shift an ALPR system can check 5,000 plates or more. Similar technology is also being deployed at airports and other similar facilities to capture license plate information of travelers coming in and out of the facility as another level of security.

Law enforcement solution developers are steadily working on integrating this efficiency enhancements to the remaining aspects of the shift. Case in point, Motorola's extensive product portfolio is actively being developed to meet the needs of government workers — from integrated voice and data devices that bring mission critical information to field personnel and first responders, to data capture capabilities that improve the productivity of staff in command centers.

This type of data mobilization and integration solution represents a robust portfolio giving law enforcement a mission critical edge in performing their duties more effectively and efficiently.

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