Date: Fri 29-Dec-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

Police-computers

Full Text:

Police Officers To Get Laptops

BY ANDREW GOROSKO

The town has received approval for a $30,000 federal grant intended to place

laptop computers in police patrol cars, First Selectman Robert Cascella said

Wednesday.

Mr Cascella said the grant comes from the "Cops More" program of the US

Justice Department.

To qualify to receive the federal money, the town is required to match the

$30,000 with an additional $10,000, he said.

Police Chief Michael DeJoseph proposes that the town use $10,000 in assets

forfeiture funding for the project. Assets forfeiture funding is a pool of

money which regional law enforcement agencies have derived from seizures made

while arresting drug traffickers. The federally administered forfeiture funds

are earmarked for use by police departments in combating drug trafficking.

Having computers in patrol cars will allow officers to do more of their

records work at the site of infractions and criminal offenses, thus saving the

time they would spend on such paperwork at the police station, according to Mr

Cascella.

"It's a timesaver for all of us," he said of the police using computers in

their cars.

Mr Cascella said he expects the town will buy about 10 laptop computers for

the police.

The police department has had a pilot program in which two laptop computers

were used to determine the practicality of a wider use of the devices, he

said.

"Some officers are more computer-literate than others," Mr Cascella said,

noting the town will provide in-house training to the police to familiarize

them with the computer hardware and software.

Besides saving the police time, using the computers is hoped to generate more

accurate, legible records, Mr Cascella said.

In a typical situation, police officers in the field would type their reports

into the laptop computers positioned within their police cars. On arriving at

the police station, the police could deposit the recorded data into the police

department's mainframe computer or electronically convert the recorded

information into printed copies.

The police potentially could use wireless modems to transmit and receive

computerized information between their cars and the police station, Mr

Cascella said.

He said he will be working out the financial details of the grant program with

Town Finance Director Benjamin Spragg. The computer grant program will be

submitted for review by the Police Commission, Legislative Council and Board

of Selectmen.