Community Expectations The other night I was watching TV and a commercial came on represented by a neighboring city. The restoration of the downtown area has been a bone of contention in the community, and the city has worked to make improvements in order to bring in more business and increase safety overall. I was particularly intrigued by a point they made about “improvements in Law Enforcement technology”; primarily because that’s a large part of our business here at L-Tron, but also because technology plays a key role in improving the way safety and security of the community is managed.
Part of what the city is doing to make technology improvements include upgrading their phone system and further modernizing electronic communications by replacing desktop, laptop and cell phone equipment. For example, replacing cell phones with smartphone technology allows Officers to utilize a single device to manage phone, citation, and data management functions. This further illustrates the idea that even small cities are realizing the importance of investing in new technology and the way the public sector:
- Collects Data
- Gathers Information
- Conducts Research
- Manages Tasks
- Performs Duties
With budgets being trimmed, Law Enforcement officers, the Department of Transportation and security agencies are being asked to do more with less while continuing to keep their communities safe. To manage effectiveness without adding overhead, they must be equipped with tools which will enable them to evaluate situations, document information and process citations and reports quickly and accurately. One example of a technological advancement in the public sector is the fact that the e-citation solution has been implemented in tens of thousands of vehicles in more than 25 states across the US. Software, combined with a hand-held bar code scanning device and laptop computer, collects data from the bar code on a driver’s license to auto-populate an electronic citation form. This method shortens the time it takes to issue a citation by more than 50%.
The Advantages of Technological Innovation In addition to the time savings with automation, those who are using a data collection device are seeing major improvements in operating efficiencies, accuracy and overall effectiveness. The ability to capture varying amounts of data through a bar code has changed the landscape for Law Enforcement, and technology is providing them with an opportunity to become more informed, more efficient and more present in their communities.
Technology leaders spend time in the field with users, and talking with industry partners like us, in order to better understand the challenges our Officers and administrators face on a daily basis. An industry leader like Honeywell Scanning & Mobility, for example, spent the last two decades making improvements in the way Law Enforcement collects data on the job. They’ve done this with their barcode scanning devices, with mobile computing devices and now with Smartphone technology like the Dolphin™ 70e Black. As technology has advanced, so have the data collection methods.
Eliminating, or greatly reducing the amount of manual paperwork keeps time Officers spend in the car to a minimum; increasing their overall visibility out in the community. Technology has also reduced the amount of equipment needed on the job – the ability to snap a photo, capture an image or signature, or scan a driver’s license eliminates the need for multiple pieces of technology to get the job done. And all of this technology improves field reporting by increasing efficiency and reducing redundancy.
Getting Started What plans are you making to improve technology in your department? Our professional services team can help you put the right tools together to improve front line efficiency and increase safety in your community. Contact L-Tron Corporation today at 800-830-9523 or email us and we’ll get you headed in the right direction.
About L-Tron:
L-Tron Corporation is a leading technology solution provider to Law Enforcement agencies and other industries that benefit from the automation of processes for mobile workers. L-Tron brings their expertise to Officer.com to share ideas and information on current trends in the market that improve processes and increase efficiencies in order to better serve our communities.
