eCitations: The Future of Police Tickets

Have you heard about the new eCitations by Motorola/Zebra? This new technology promises to increase ticket production as well as accuracy of the citations. It also claims to be able to save your department several dollars due to the high cost associated with handwritten citations (i.e. agencies that lose millions of dollars due to inaccuracies that lead to dismissals of large volumes of tickets based partly on illegible handwriting and data entry errors). In addition, how many tickets actually come up missing or don't make it to the courts. Of course no one will admit it, but from my experience, some tickets have come up missing and the suspect is someone who "knows" somebody and has access to the tickets whether it be at the department level, in transition to the courts, or at the courts. The eCitation doesn't allow for "ticket fixing" as it goes directly to the courts. This feature alone would stop a lot ticket fixing and would appeal to the public I'm sure. It would also take the pressure off of the police officer who wrote a ticket in the field and was later confronted by a sergeant for example asking him or her to void the ticket. Once the ticket is submitted in the field, it's final.

The eCitation can eliminate errors by automating and error-proofing the citation process

With the eCitation, police officers can simply scan the bar code or magnetic strip on the driver's license to auto populate most of the fields in an electronic citation form. This of course eliminates the possibility of the officer entering the name wrong, writing the ops code down incorrectly, etc. In addition, drop down menus for violations and vehicle information further protect against errors and can auto fill several fine amounts and court information like codes, laws, etc.

eCitation can speed up the court process immensely

Where ticket processing can take weeks to process, and require someone to manually process each ticket (i.e. pink copy to station and filing, gold copy to courts and filing, etc.), the eCitation can be stored as data in computer hard drives and would only require a one time set up to save data for the most part. Of course maintenance would be required to save and store the data by date, time, etc., the point is the amount of work involved is minimal compared actually writing out the tickets by hand.

Motorola MC75

Motorola's MC75 rugged Enterprise Digital Assistant (EDA) offers maximum functionality in a minimum footprint, providing a 3G world phone with push-to-talk, GPS, bar code scanning, a high resolution digital color camera and WWAN/WLAN/Bluetooth®/ IrDA connectivity – all in a single device.. Designed for the most demanding environments and applications, the MC75 sets the standard for rugged EDA design and processing power in a small and compact device. With its 3G /3.5G WAN functionality and support for GSM HSDPA and CDMA EVDO, Rev A, the MC75 provides simultaneous high-speed voice and data functionality. The MC75 is built for use inside and outside the enterprise — ideal for providing your field workforce with the applications they need to maximize productivity and efficiency. Support for 802.11a/b/g enables easy integration with your existing technology infrastructure as well as the cost-effective delivery of voice and data over the wireless LAN. GPS functionality provides support for a wide variety of location-based solutions, improving productivity and efficiency in routing and asset management applications. Designed from the ground up to support voice as well as data, the MC75 offers maximum voice quality and functionality. And integrated Bluetooth provides a convenient wireless connection to Zebra mobile printers and more, providing a complete mobility solution for DSD and route accounting operations.

Motorola MC70

Motorola’s MC70 rugged mobile computer integrates a mobile phone, PDA, mobile computer, bar code scanner and imager into a single device. Support for either the GSM/EDGE or CDMA-EVDO cellular networks provides the broadband wireless voice and data connection required to extend business applications right to the point of work. The industry leading innovate mechanical design offers the superior construction required to survive life in the field. Support for 802.11 b/g enables easy integration with your existing technology infrastructure as well as the cost-effective delivery of voice and data over the wireless LAN. GPS functionality provides support for a wide variety of location-based solutions, improving productivity and efficiency in routing and asset management applications. Designed for voice from the inside out, you can count on superior voice functionality and quality. And integrated Bluetooth provides a convenient wireless connection to Zebra mobile printers and more, providing a complete end-to-end mobility solution for DSD and route accounting operations.

Zebra RW 420

Zebra’s RW 420 mobile printer is the ideal mate for Motorola mobile computers - Bluetooth provides 'no fuss' wire-free printing directly from the Motorola device. The rugged design ensures dependable operation day in and day out, despite drops and exposure to extreme heat, cold, rain, snow and more. The flexible printers can be worn on a the hip, with a shoulder strap or mounted permanently in the vehicle. A full line of accessories includes cases that increase environmental protection for harsher climates. And the highly flexible media can be pre-printed to produce an information-rich easy-to-read ticket - for example, shaded boxes and other graphics can be pre-printed on the front, while court addresses and other information can be printed on the back.

Zebra RW 220

The Zebra RW 220 is a 2-inch mobile printers ideal for receipts on the go. Its modular design allows users to choose among secure wireless options and card readers. The compact printer also offers convenient vehicle mounting and charging options, as well as user-intuitive interfaces and angled display for easy use while on the go! Additionally, the RW 220 has a high speed processor and large memory for quick and efficient processing of complex receipts, graphics and fonts using sophisticated wireless options.

* You can get more information on the eCitations at the MotoZebra official website.