Honeywell > Case Studies > San Jose Police Department Optimizes Processes Thanks to an eCitation Solution from Intermec by Honeywell

San Jose Police Department Optimizes Processes Thanks to an eCitation Solution from Intermec by Honeywell

Customer Company Size

Large Corporate

Region

America

Country

United States

Product

CN3 Mobile Computer
3i Infotech Software Solution
Cogent BlueCheck Fingerprint Reader

Tech Stack

Bluetooth Wireless Technology
Touch Screen Interface
Card Swiper

Implementation Scale

Enterprise-wide Deployment

Impact Metrics

Productivity Improvements
Cost Savings
Customer Satisfaction

Technology Category

Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems
Networks & Connectivity - Bluetooth
Analytics & Modeling - Predictive Analytics

Applicable Industries

Security & Public Safety
Cities & Municipalities

Applicable Functions

Field Services
Quality Assurance

Use Cases

Track & Trace of Assets
Predictive Maintenance
Remote Asset Management

Services

System Integration
Training

About The Customer

The San Jose Police Department (SJPD) is a law enforcement agency based in San Jose, California, located in the heart of Silicon Valley. The department is responsible for maintaining public safety and enforcing laws within the city. With a workforce of over 1,000 officers, the SJPD handles a wide range of criminal, moving, and municipal violations. The department is committed to leveraging technology to optimize its processes and improve efficiency. In recent years, the SJPD has been exploring various technological solutions to streamline its operations, reduce errors, and save valuable labor and funds. The department's leadership, including Police Chief Robert L. Davis, is focused on finding innovative ways to enhance the agency's capabilities and provide better service to the community.

The Challenge

Prior to using Intermec by Honeywell CN3 mobile computers, all of the processes associated with criminal, moving and municipal violations were manual. When an officer stopped a violator, he or she recorded the driver’s details, information regarding the incident and the ensuing court dates with pen and paper. Prone to human error, this process caused additional labor when information was recorded inaccurately, as well as caused potential trial delays. Many times officers neglected to fill in certain boxes or entered incorrect data. This created extra labor for both the quality assurance process and for the officers who would be required later to complete necessary paperwork to fix the error or risk the citation being thrown out in court. Once the ticket was issued, it was then sent to the records division for quality control. If the ticket did not pass the quality assurance process, the check person issued an amendment form, attached it to the original ticket and returned it to the officer to correct. If the information on the ticket was validated, one copy was sent to the courts and entered into their database, and another copy was sent to the police department and entered into a separate database. By segmenting the process for entering violations into the system databases, there was more opportunity for error. Two different data entry departments meant two separate opportunities for mistakes. Using this system, the SJPD was averaging a 10 percent annual error rate. Two systems for data entry also meant twice the labor— something the SPJD needed to optimize during budget cuts.

The Solution

Based in the heart of Silicon Valley, San Jose Police Chief Robert L. Davis knew there had to be a way to leverage technology to optimize the agency’s processes. Three years ago, the department began researching different solutions that might fit the department’s needs. “We needed a device that was rugged enough for the officers to use out in the field,” said Davis. “We also needed a device with an extended battery life, write-on screen capabilities and a card-swiper that could read drivers’ licenses. The software solution needed to enable us to swipe the violator’s driver’s license and at a later time download the information to the police department’s data base, and after, to the court’s database.” After viewing several presentations, SJPD opted for a bundled solution developed by 3i Infotech and Intermec by Honeywell. The result is a paperless eCitation system that enables San Jose police officers to connect to the city court’s database via the handheld computers after docking the device at the end of a shift. With the CN3’s Bluetooth wireless technology, officers are also able to connect wirelessly to mobile printers and print tickets in real time. Now, when citizens are pulled over for a traffic violation, the arresting officer simply swipes the violator’s driver’s license to record the driver’s personal information. The officer then identifies additional details regarding the citation using the CN3’s touch screen. Drivers sign the ticket on the screen or on a printed hard copy. In the first two weeks, 1,000 citations were issued with less than a two percent error rate. SJPD hopes to lower this rate to zero percent. “The San Jose Police Department can now spend more time on education and enforcement as opposed to citation entry and correction,” said Davis.

Operational Impact

The San Jose Police Department can now spend more time on education and enforcement as opposed to citation entry and correction.
Six hundred total SJPD officers will eventually be trained to use the new solution, and as many as 300 officers could be using the solution at any given time in the field.
Various features of the solution are being deployed in stages. Currently, the SJPD uses it as a device for issuing citations; however, the solution has many additional capabilities that will be deployed at a later date.
The officers absolutely love it. They feel it’s a great tool for them to use in the field because it’s quick, efficient and helps eliminate the need for burdensome paperwork.
SJPD is planning to add in-field fingerprint identification using the Cogent BlueCheck fingerprint reader, which will help eliminate motorists who may be wanted on outstanding warrants from providing false identity.

Quantitative Benefit