FOCUS What to Look for in Public Safety Software
stated, “There is no easy answer to the problem of choosing law enforcement software. There are many softwares out there and the prices are just as varied. In my eyes, the single most important char- acteristic of software is it must be intui- tive. Users in the police world have such varied skill sets that a software or app that is designed to be easy for the end user helps in many ways. Training time is reduced, user buy-in is increased, and that should reduce training and support costs. This is one of the key characteristics I look for in equipment.”
done with existing computers and does not require anything other than Internet. Data is backed up, there is no need to update software on the computers, and the information is generally going to be compatible with new operating systems or new computers.
The SaaS (Software as a Service) model solution usually runs on responders’ existing GPS-enabled mobile phones or other devices, using cloud computing technology. It is based and licensed on a prescription model, accessed by clients using a Web browser.
Issues with cloud storage include the
initial and recurring costs of the stor- age and the upload speeds. When there is a great deal of data to be uploaded or downloaded to review, this can take up a lot of time waiting for data.
Tarasiuk stated that they use in-house storage solutions although he believes in a few years, their storage will probably be transferred to cloud storage, when the Internet connections become available that make downloads faster. They regu- larly transfer 100-200 GB of data to the servers, which might take weeks with the cloud. Skokie operates their software and stores their data in servers on premise and believes it is more cost effi cient than operating in a cloud environment. Timely download speed of information and se- curity of data within a cloud setting still remain concerns for Skokie.
Considerations in Choosing Software Sgt. David W. Crouse, Massachusetts State Police, Technical Services Unit,
26 LAW and ORDER I March 2016
Chief Scarpelli stated that prior to using their new software, every offi cer had a four-day training process and everyone embraced the software after that and didn’t know how they had done without it previously. Since the classes were small and spread out over four months, the fi rst groups had forgotten some of the process and they did a refresher training prior to implementation and gave them extra as- sistance, after which they had no issues. They made the software available for practice before it was implemented but most patrol offi cers simply didn’t have time for that in a normal shift. Scarpelli reported you can look at de- scriptions of modules and get an idea about what they will do, but it is much better to be able to do Web demos and ask questions. The way a software solu- tion is described may not be giving you enough information to make an informed decision and it may not be exactly what you want or have expectations for it to do. This helps you defi ne the scope of the project and fi nd out the scope of the solution. What you are wanting may be available in other modules but that may add to the cost.
Important Software Solutions to Consider Scarpelli stated that the RMS, CAD and ‘mobile client’ are among their most critical software modules. These are im- portant purchases and departments may have to use them for years. The mobile client defi nes the in-car computer, man- aging all the electronic solutions, such as ecitations, crash reporting, and supervi- sory review, thus effi ciently transferring data electronically, all from inside the squad car.
Updated software gave them better GIS
information, which improves things such as patrol assignments. A good portion of policing focuses on crime and they real- ized they needed to look more at where their calls for service were coming from, calls that aren’t necessarily about crime but that improve quality of life. Utilizing their crime analysis module now allows Skokie to focus their patrols on high-vol- ume service call areas.
Some of their modules can greatly im- prove effi ciency and also offi cer safety. For instance, the Automatic Vehicle Loca- tor (AVL) gives the geographical location of every squad car. This expedites the dis- patch of a car because the closest car can be sent, even if it is not the car assigned to that sector. Offi cer safety is enhanced because if an offi cer doesn’t respond, an- other car can be sent to check on that of- fi cer because the location is known. Evidence management software, often including barcoding software and RFID smart tags, is a major need for most law enforcement agencies. Evidence manage- ment software needs to track evidence and make sure it can be located for court proceedings. Furthermore, the software should be able to make notifi cations as to when the evidence may be returned or destroyed. Evidence rooms become unmanageable because once items are put into evidence, no one has the time to make sure the items leave storage after their retention date expires. Scarpelli said effi ciency is greatly en- hanced by having software that, for in- stance, has evidentiary photos attached to reports, along with everything else related to that case, such as supplemen- tary reports. No longer does a detective have to track down crime scene photos, a video in evidence, or paperwork pro- vided by a victim; now it is just a few mouse clicks away. Illinois also requires the redacting of information and im- ages related to non-offending persons, including for body-worn cameras, and these signifi cant and recurring costs are reduced from this very labor-intensive process by software for this purpose that takes care of the privacy issues. Skokie has another useful software program within their current RMS soft- ware solution, which provides an elec- tronic photo lineup that chooses photos based on parameters that match their suspect. The computer selects the pho-
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