Mobile device technology is not just for leisure; despite the technology’s vast capacity for entertainment, the use of mobile devices has now become a way of life.

From remotely starting a vehicle to arming a home alarm anywhere in the world, mobile devices are an essential part of daily operations in many personal and professional settings, increasing efficiency and decreasing manual work.

Technology is moving the world full speed ahead, and the law enforcement profession cannot afford to take a backseat. Several mobile tech advances have already occurred in the policing industry, but the technology is continuously evolving. To remain effective and keep pace with both criminal offenders and the communities officers protect, police must use current and relevant technology.

There are many products on the market developed specifically for the law enforcement community. While agencies are balancing budgets, navigating office logistics, processing crime scenes, and investigating criminal violations, technology can help with those tasks and other day-to-day tasks such as traffic and parking violations, drug enforcement, communication, and officer wellness.

Mobile Printing Technology

Motorists have been accustomed to officers manually writing citations and reports. However, Seiko Instruments, based in Japan, has developed a rugged mobile device to aid in daily field operations such as the output of legal documents like reports and e-citations.

Seiko Instruments’ MP-A40 Rugged Four Inch Mobile Printer and MP-B30 Three Inch Mobile Printer are designed for in-the-field applications.

Seiko Instruments has leveraged its relationships with industry leaders in software, hardware OEM, and accessory components to create a seamless integration to other devices and software systems. Powered directly by the vehicle’s control system, it can also be Bluetooth enabled.

According to Matt Schmitz, director of sales and business development at Seiko Instruments, “Mobility solutions for law enforcement, including mobile printing capability, have accelerated the productivity and safety of officers in the field along with optimizing law enforcement agencies.”¹

Schmitz cites departments’ moving from paper tickets to e-citations as an excellent example to demonstrate the move toward mobile and automated solutions to increase efficiency, save time, and protect officers: “Administrative workload going to electronic transfer among the various entities associated with ticketing, courts, records is significantly decreased along with the time officers spend in the field. The officer is now able to quickly electronically scan identification to process and print out citations and legal documents, which decreases the time spent on the side of road.” The less time officers spend while on the shoulders and medians of the roadway, the less danger there is for officers and stopped or passing motorists.

Mobile Drug Enforcement

Driving under the influence is a major challenge around the globe, and almost all law enforcement agencies deal with drug violations as a regular part of their duties. Those promoting criminal drug activity employ advanced technology, and police officers must do the same to investigate and prosecute those driving under the influence of drugs.

A long-time provider of breath alcohol testing devices, St. Louis, Missouri-based Intoximeters offers a the SoToxa Mobile Test System, a rapid drug screen device. The SoToxa Mobile Test System is a portable, handheld analyzer manufactured by Abbott and distributed to U.S. law enforcement exclusively by Intoximeters that is designed to give law enforcement officers immediate results after testing for drug use.

The SoToxa Mobile Test System can detect up to six different classes of drugs within five minutes using a three-step testing process. The system is capable of downloading reports and data for analysis onto a desktop computer and has a storage capacity of more than 10,000 test results. Phil Simmons, Intoximeters’ director of North American sales and marketing says, “The SoToxa Mobile Test System provides the optimal combination of speed, ease of use, reliability, and accuracy.”²

Mobile Communications

While mobile phones are the primary means to communicate in almost all arenas, Samsung offers a wide range of devices specifically catered to law enforcement for field use. Samsung Mobile First Responder Solutions has developed tools enabling officers to receive real-time data on scene with handheld and wearable devices. Phones, tablets, and watches are all products that can be customized to any agency’s needs with a platform built on a secure network. Samsung partners with public safety partner ISV to enable flawless integration of mobile-based solutions like CAD, touchscreens, and RMS.

The XCover FieldPro is a Samsung rugged smartphone built to withstand the harshest conditions with its MIL-STD-810G durability and IP68 resistance. The XCover Pro is a business prototype of the XCover FieldPro. Both have Mission Critical Push to Talk (MCPTT) technology and many of the other same features. The Tab Active Pro and Tab Active 2 are both customizable rugged tablets. They also come equipped with an S pen and a touchscreen that works when wet and when the user is wearing gloves.

These devices include a full mobility platform such as DeX. A Samsung representative says, “With the DeX platform, public safety agencies can use our flagship Galaxy smartphones and Tab Active Pro for their mobile function and then plug the device in once they return to the station, transforming it into a high-powered computer. DeX supports in-vehicle, in-field, and in-station operations from a single, handheld device.”³

Chris Balcik, Samsung Electronics America’s vice president of federal government sales, points to successes of the mobility platform in the field, “We’ve already seen the impact of our streamlined solutions in the Chicago Police Department, where we launched a pilot program to use Samsung DeX as officers’ in-vehicle solution. With DeX, an officer’s Samsung Galaxy smartphone is transformed into a powerful in-vehicle computer, allowing officers to input data from crime scenes or look up license plates in a faster and more efficient way.”⁴

Mobile Officer Wellness Technology

Officer wellness is a top priority for the policing profession as a whole. Cordico, Inc., based in Gold River, California, uses personalized solutions in mobile technology to help enhance officer wellness. Cordico designs apps for officers and families for in-hand, on-demand tools and resources, and the apps are customized for each agency with programs and tools like peer support groups, physical fitness options, chaplains, local resources, and more. “We take great pride in engineering every app because the heroes we serve deserve nothing less than the absolute best,” said Rich Foreman, Cordico’s chief technology officer. “Designing each app is a very large amount of work, and our team is honored because we know that our apps are what officers turn to in their times of greatest need.”⁵

These custom-engineered apps include self-assessments, videos, audio modules, and more with such topics as

■ Alcohol Abuse
■ Anger Management
■ Anxiety, Panic Attacks, and Worry
■ Critical Incidents
■ Depression
■ Family Support
■ Financial Fitness for Law Enforcement
■ Grief and Loss
■ Mindfulness for Law Enforcement
■ Peer Support
■ Posttraumatic Stress (PTSI and PTSD)
■ Psychological First Aid
■ Retirement: Getting Prepared
■ Self-Care Checklists
■ Sleep Optimization
■ Suicide Prevention
■ Stress Management
■ Trauma
■ Work-Life Balance

Whether helping officers save time in the field, increase roadside safety, communicate effectively, and access wellness resources or bringing efficiencies and advancements to almost every element of policing, mobile device technology can play a vital role in the law enforcement profession. Vendors are taking heed, providing continuous improvements and custom law enforcement mobile solutions.

Notes:

¹ Matt Schmitz (director, sales and business development, Seiko Instruments), email, April 28, 2020.

²  Phil Simmons (director, North American sales and marketing, Intoximeters), email, April 23, 2020.

³ Samsung, email, April 28, 2020.

⁴ Chris Balcik (vice president of sales, federal government, Samsung Electronics America), email, April 28, 2020.

⁵ Rich Foreman (chief technology officer, Cordico), email, April 25, 2020.