| Note: Police Chief magazine, from time-to-time, offers feature-length articles on products and services that are useful to law enforcement administrators. This article features innovative tools that will be showcased at the 2014 IACP Annual Conference & Expo. |
From talking signs to pocket-sized policing to the latest and most rugged armored car, there will be something for everyone at IACP 2014.
More than 750 companies will exhibit their wares at the annual conference and exposition, offering live demonstrations and educational opportunities in fields ranging from weapons to vehicles to intelligence. New and better tools for all phases of criminal justice will be on display to help agencies work smarter and more efficiently by building stronger bridges between officers, their daily work, and their larger communities.
Advancements are occurring even in areas that have remained relatively static for decades. Take signage, for instance—signs now can be put to a variety of uses thanks to advanced technology and connectivity. Most departments may have or at least know about speed display signs that collect speed data, but they may not realize that the new generation of these signs can accomplish much more.
One supplier operating on this cutting edge is All Traffic Solutions, a manufacturer based in State College, Pennsylvania. All Traffic Solutions has signs in use in all 50 states and 20 countries, with many of them essentially functioning as stand-alone data collection centers. “When our signs ship, they are connected to the Internet with an active cell modem,” said Ted Graef, president of All Traffic Solutions. “When police deploy our signs, they are not just displaying speeds or messages, but also collecting traffic data that is automatically available in their Internet account.”1
It is just one of the ways in which signs are getting smarter. In fact, some newer features almost make it seem as if these products have minds of their own. Some are even able to contact departments if they are being damaged or need maintenance attention. “The connected sign can call the user if the battery is low, someone goes by too fast, or if someone is tampering with it,” Graef said. “It can even send pictures of the vandal or a high-speed violator. With the on-board GPS, the sign can be recovered if someone attempts to steal it.”
This sort of multitasking can be particularly valuable during an era in which many law enforcement and public safety agencies are being asked to do more with fewer resources. Not only do these more intelligent signs ward off damage or theft, they also can help compensate for fewer officers in the field given the amount of data they can glean and the places they can transmit that information. That information can help leaders make more effective decisions about how and where to deploy their officers.
“Traffic data is collected and regularly sent to the hosted database,” Graef said. “An enforcement report can be generated using your desired filters to prioritize locations requiring enforcement. It quickly tells them where and when to focus their resources.”
As these signs get smarter, there can be drawbacks. When products like these begin to do more, their operating systems often can become isolated from one another, with an interface from one company being incompatible with another, which can defeat the goal of efficiency. But All Traffic Solutions has an answer, and it will be on display at IACP 2014. It’s called the TraffiCloud, and it uses connected sensors to gather traffic data and transmit it to a centralized database, bypassing the need for a user to monitor multiple accounts.
“We are introducing the TraffiCloud as an Internet portal for equipment from multiple manufacturers,” Graef said. “If you have 10 different devices from 10 different manufacturers, now you’re having to log into 10 different accounts. This would give them one place to go to get all their data. This provides the user with one place to go to see all their data and allows for integrated reports using data from multiple sources.”
3SI Solutions is another company bringing a high-tech mentality to previously lowtech sectors of law enforcement in time for IACP 2014. Based in Exton, Pennsylvania, 3SI provides what it calls Electronic StakeOut, or ESO, which can be used to equip commonly stolen items such as cars, computers, and bicycles with tracking capabilities. The equipped items are placed in high-risk areas to serve as bait for potential wrongdoers, and if the item is stolen, the ESO will transmit alerts and information to the police department. According to 3SI, jurisdictions employing ESOs have experienced “double-digit” drops in crime rates and increased apprehension statistics.2
Engaging the community as partners in stopping crime has long been a challenging task yielding decidedly mixed results. Now, the community–law enforcement partnership fits in the average citizen’s pocket, thanks to the My Police Department or MyPD app. Developed by a former detective with the Massachusetts firm WiredBlue, MyPD enables members of the public to submit tips and feedback directly to relevant police department teams, as well as allowing departments to survey members of the public in hopes of gaining valuable information and perceptions.
According to WiredBlue founder Peter Olson, the third and latest version of the MyPD app is expected to roll out in August or September 2014 and will be available for demonstrations to IACP 2014 attendees.
“It’s a major overhaul. We are taking a look at the user interface,” said Olson, the former police detective. “It’s a great way for police departments to do crowdsourcing. It drives down costs and allows the department to plan for the future.” Olson said 150 agencies already are using the app, with 30 or 40 more in discussion phases.3
Another key component of the new version is “gamification.” That means that the app incentivizes users to stay connected with the app—and, by extension, their police departments—in different ways and over longer periods of time. “We wanted to keep the public engaged in the app,” Olson said. “We wanted them to keep using it, to keep them coming back. There are badges you can unlock for interacting with the app and doing certain things.”
The MyPD app is just one way technology can help people stay connected to criminal justice. Another method is offered by Louisville, Kentucky, firm Appriss via VINE, a suite of automated services that are free to the public and allow victims and other citizens to follow court proceedings and related processes from their smartphone or laptop. It can help agencies not only by empowering citizens but also by decreasing the time it takes for victims to be notified of status changes.
Another of the Appriss flagship services, JusticeXChange, serves as a kind of search engine for law enforcement. Users can set automated “watches” on suspects, seek out offenders, and generate reports on persons of interest, all with the punch of a few buttons.
There are plenty of other tech firms working to advance law enforcement. Texas-based Brazos Technology custom builds applications that help agents electronically manage citations and capture identification card information on the spot. Brother Mobile Solutions, headquartered in New Jersey, provides extensive remote printing capabilities for officers in the field.
Technology goes beyond smartphone apps and Internet tools, though, as will be demonstrated by a few larger items at IACP 2014. Earlier this year, Massachusetts-based Lenco Armored Vehicles introduced the BearCat G3, a new generation of their tactical armored vehicle. What differentiates the G3 from other models is that it comes with off-road capabilities.
“It has an off-road package for rural areas,” said Lenny Light, Lenco general manager and vice president. “The G3 allows the operators of the vehicle to reach some of these rural homes. Many of these are set back miles from the main road and are on a dirt road or an unpaved road. Sometimes it might be muddy, or there might be downed trees. You might need an all-terrain vehicle kind of access and that can be very difficult for a standard vehicle.”4
The 18,000-pound vehicle also comes equipped with various standard features, including a 360-degree camera and battering rams. “The ram allows them to bust open a door from inside their vehicle,” Light said. “And the camera allows them to see 360 degrees inside a house before ever deciding to exit the vehicle.”
Training can be improved by new technology, as well. One exhibitor at IACP 2014, Massachusetts manufacturer Savage Range Systems, creates an assortment of shooting ranges, stations, booths, and targets for various training situations.
Perhaps the trademark invention for Savage Range Systems is the Wet Snail System, a bullet trap that minimizes danger and maximizes safety and environmental cleanliness. The trap quickly decelerates, rather than disintegrates, bullets on impact and captures lead fragments in a biodegradable mix of water and lubricant.
“The more you train, the more proficient you become,” said Eoin Stafford Savage Range Systems vice president and general manager. “This is the cleanest, healthiest range environment. There’s no slashing around and decelerating. There is less contamination in the ground.”5 ♦
| IACP 2014 takes place Oct. 25–28 in Orlando, Florida. Click here for a list of exhibitors. For more information, visit www.theiacpconference.org. |
Notes:
1Ted Graef (president, All Traffic Solutions), telephone interview, May 15, 2014.
23SI Security Systems, Law Enforcement, https://www.3sisecurity.com/industries/law-enforcement (accessed June 25, 2014).
3Peter Olson (founder, WiredBlue), telephone interview, May 15, 2014.
4Lenny Light (general manager and vice president, Lenco), telephoneinterview, May 13, 2014.
5Eoin Stafford (vice president and general manager, Savage Range Systems), telephone interview, May 22, 2014.
