TECHNOLOGY
Virtual Roll Call Briefing Software A 2018 IACP Award Winning Initiative By: Chief Samuel Ceballos, Jr.
There are areas in our policing profession that technology has yet to penetrate. One aspect that has not changed much in 40-years is the roll call briefing.
Wireless technology, the internet, and advancements in mobile technology have made it possible to trans- form this indispensable law enforcement briefing. The Pinecrest Police Department developed and imple- mented a digital solution for the roll call briefing with the assistance of Florida International University (FIU).
The new web-based application, which ushers the roll call briefing into the 21st century, captured the atten- tion of the IACP Awards Committee. On Tuesday October 9, 2018, the Pinecrest Police Department and Flor- ida International University were recipients of the 2018 IACP/Security Industry AssociationMichael Shanahan Leadership in Public/Private Cooperation Award. This award recognizes agencies who have demonstrated outstanding achievements in the development and implementation of public/private cooper- ation in public safety.
I hope to encourage police chiefs who read this article to consider partnering with their local universities. Not only will chiefs develop innovative projects to enhance public safety, but they will involve these bright students in a noble cause.
Despite technological advances, some police departments still conduct roll call briefings at the police station. Wireless communication, mobile computing and the internet hold the greatest promise for a 21st century paradigm shift; a shift from policing practices engrained in our police culture for over half a century. The in- person roll call briefing typically results in a 15-minute delayed response to assigned zones by patrol person- nel of the incoming shift. In addition, sometimes officers miss the briefings for a variety of reasons, i.e., court attendance. Pinecrest PD used technology to solve these two problems. The idea was to find a way to share information, such as daily crime reports, watch-orders, directed patrols, officer safety alerts, BOLOs, etc., in a way that ensures reaching every officer, and doing so without the 15-minute delay in hitting the street.
Pinecrest Police submitted a Senior Project Proposal to the School of Computing and Information Sciences at FIU and presented its vision to the senior class for their Capstone Project. The project was accepted and the web-based application was designed and successfully deployed. Roll call briefings are now conducted in a virtual environment. Officers report to their assigned zones after checking into service, instead of reporting to the station roll call room. Pinecrest officers now obtain all briefing information on-line via the agency’s secure VPN.
The web-based roll call briefing software solution improves services, and make the most effective use of Resources, by cutting down on the time it takes officers to begin patrolling assigned zones. Folders for shift specific information help tailor briefings to the needs of each shirt. New policies can be disseminated quickly. We can confirm through the software that every officer acknowledged, read, and understood the content of the document. In addition, we post and archive officer safety alerts and BOLO information from surrounding agencies. Also included is a dynamic interactive component (Watch Orders), designed to improve services to residents who go on vacation, and to those concerned about suspicious or criminal activity. The Watch
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