Above are photos of Redlands officers demonstrating Copbook
“The real power in this tool will be bringing other police
agencies on,” says Redlands police Lt. Chris Catren.
“Crooks don’t follow geographical boundaries, and it’s
crucial for different law enforcement agencies to be able to
share information quickly.”
The San Bernardino County Sheriff ’s Department, which
patrols nearby communities including Highland and
Yucaipa, is looking into using CopBook, according to
Catren.
Such a tool appeals to the new, younger breed of techsavvy officers who are looking to share knowledge and
information more efficiently, officials say.
“Having a comfort level with the technology improves the
chances that officers will readily share information in this
medium,” Garcia says.
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Behind The Badge
The Redlands PD started testing CopBook in early 2011
after working with a Washington, D.C.-based software
developer to develop a customized system, Catren says.
“The information that is shared is secured through means
that provide confidence that our intelligence will not be
compromised,” Garcia says.
For the past few years, the Redlands PD has been actively
engaging the community through Twitter, Facebook and
YouTube – social media tools that have become crucial as
budget cuts have reduced internal resources, officials say.
The Redlands PD has shrunk to 77 sworn officers from 98
in 2007. In a cost-saving move, the agency hired an outside
consultant, local resident Theresa M. Dale, to manage its
social networking activities – and visits to the PD’s sites
have grown considerably.