The advent of smartphones has led to many benefits for savvy law enforcement and public safety professionals, just as it has in many other fields and areas of life. The ability to do more things automatically, in the field and in the moment, allows for more effective protection of the public and more efficient completion of day-to-day tasks.

However, the realm of mobile devices can be defined by more than just the smartphone. Items from cameras to loud speakers are smaller, easier than ever to set up and use, wireless, and connected with computer networks. These innovations in mobility help officers and departments get more done in real time.

Body Camera Interest Spiking

Perhaps the most salient example of an alternative mobile device for law enforcement is the body-worn camera, a video device that is attached to an officer’s uniform or accessories (such as sunglasses). Typically, these cameras record police interactions with the public and are later docked to a computer, which uploads the video files to a database or cloud storage.

Advocates for body-worn cameras say that these videos, made available upon request to the public, increase transparency and create more openness between police officers and the communities they serve, while also improving officer performance and the behavior of community members being recorded.

In the wake of the controversies centered in Ferguson, Missouri, and New York City, body cameras are being viewed by some as a potential way to smooth friction between police and the civilian population and to provide a clear video record of police actions.

In December 2014, U.S. President Barack Obama proposed designating $263 million in federal matching funds for public safety equipment and training, including the purchase of an estimated 50,000 body cameras over three years. In addition, some states are moving to make cameras, either mounted on the body or in the patrol car, a requirement for police agencies.¹

Though the devices themselves are not without controversy, they are undoubtedly a major part of an ongoing conversation. As such, perhaps not surprisingly, companies that sell body-worn cameras are reporting greater interest in these items.

“Lots of customers are asking,” said Bob Davieau, president of Northeast Communications, a New Jersey reseller of Motorola electronics and various other communications products. “Given what happened in Ferguson and New York City, we have involved ourselves more in body cameras. It enables officers to record an encounter, and it keeps people on their best behavior.”²

Northeast Communications offers two different body cameras designed for public safety use: the Vievu LE3, created by Seattle firm Vievu, and the Prima Facie Body Camera, manufactured by Texas-based Safety Vision. Both, Davieau said, have their advantages. “The Vievu is easy to use and it’s lightweight,” Davieau said. “With all [the items] that officers already need to carry around on their person, it’s important for these things to be as lightweight as possible.”³

Several security features ensure that footage from the Vievu LE3 is difficult to improperly access or alter. The downloading process is password-protected and only pre-approved administrators may delete a video. When a video is deleted, the administrator responsible must provide a reason for the action.

According to Davieau, the LE3 has a wider field of vision than other body cameras, allowing greater visibility and avoiding the “fish-eye” view of other models. Using the camera takes literally seconds, as recording is turned on and off simply by sliding the small door that covers the lens up or down.

In contrast to the Vievu model, the Prima Facie camera contains more features—including a “night mode” that includes infrared illuminators, and it is slightly heavier than the Vievu.

Several other manufacturers and resellers offer body cameras with a wide range of options and capabilities. A California company, Wolfcom, offers a camera that can be attached both inside a car and on the officer’s person, and can record up to 36 hours of video. In addition, TASER International, based in Arizona, sells the AXON, an on-officer camera, for $399.

A Quicker Ticket

More than a few police departments are automating all or part of their parking enforcement, while many others still use the old reliable paper-and-ink version. However, regardless of where a department is in the continuum, new, easy-to-use mobile devices can shave valuable minutes off of the tedious process of writing a parking ticket or a routine traffic stop.

Cardinal Tracking has introduced TickeTrak Mobile, a special software program designed for mobile devices. According to Troy Swift, a regional account manager for Cardinal, the software—which can be added to various handheld units, including some smartphones—allows users to issue citations, reference vehicle information, alert officers of habitual offenders, and even capture images.

Designed specifically for parking tickets, Cardinal data estimates TickeTrak Mobile can reduce the time it takes to issue a citation by as much as 30 percent. The key to that efficiency has to do with eliminating not only the pen, but also the middleman.

“When someone has to read handwriting and type it into some kind of system, that takes a lot of time,” Swift noted. “Now all the keypunching is with the officer himself. You don’t have to key it in later. [Y]ou’re going to have a fully legible ticket for the violator, and that makes them more likely to pay because it makes more sense.”⁴

The ticket is also instantly in the system once it is completely keyed in, meaning that violators who show up at a station to pay the fine will have the information waiting for them, which also increases the likelihood of payment, Swift said.

MobileCite is an automated citation issuance system designed for city ordinance or moving violations. Like TickeTrak Mobile, MobileCite can reduce encounter times by nearly one-third. In this instance, the secret lies in the device’s scanning feature, which reads a driver’s license, captures important information, and automatically feeds the relevant data into the corresponding field on the ticket.

In Texas, where Cardinal Tracking is located, Swift said MobileCite captures 23 separate fields of data for use in a ticket. “That dramatically speeds things up,” Swift said. “One of the most challenging things for an officer is safety. You want to get the stop over with, get them on their way, and get yourself back into your vehicle.”⁵

According to Swift, training on the device is simple, and a Cardinal expert spends a week with each new client, setting up the device, offering training, and ensuring everything is operational.

Make Your Voice Heard

Another item that has gained visibility recently, particularly as part of the Ferguson incident, are mobile loudspeakers used by police to communicate with large gatherings.

Though primarily a military tool, speakers and automatic hailing devices, or AHDs, also are used in a law enforcement context. The models provided for public safety by Indiana-based company HyperSpike (a subsidiary of British conglomerate Ultra Electronics) weigh as little as 17 pounds while producing a volume output of up to 151 decibels.

“It’s a communication device that you can use to let people know they are doing unlawful things,” said James Martzall, sales application manager for HyperSpike. “It’s like a bullhorn on steroids, and it can reach people from a quarter of a mile up to two miles away.… It’s a hand-portable unit that can be up and running in 30 seconds.”⁶

According to company information, the HS-Micro, HS-14, and HyperShield weigh 18, 37, and 17 pounds, respectively. The HyperShield is able to create an acoustic deterrent, which causes a standoff in a crowd of 50 meters or greater.

Several other companies also tailor different mobile solutions and devices for public safety and law enforcement needs. SunGard Public Sector, a technology company headquartered in Florida, provides “digital dispatching” services, including car-to-car messaging and NCIC queries.

New World Systems, based in Michigan, developed Aegis, a mobile software platform that makes data reporting, records management, and other common tasks easier and more interoperable among those in the office and in the field. ♦

Notes:
¹Justin Sink, “Obama to Provide Funding for 50,000 Police Body Cameras,” The Hill, December 1, 2014, http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/225583-obama-to-provide-funding-for-50000-police-body-cameras (accessed January 22, 2015).
²Bob Davieau (president, Northeast Communications), telephone interview, January 13, 2015.
³Ibid.
⁴Troy Swift (regional account manager, Cardinal Tracking), telephone interview, January 14, 2015.
⁵Ibid.
⁶James Martzall (sales application manager, HyperSpike), telephone interview, January 15, 2015.