Although Monrovia has yet to adopt the Nixle service,
Hunt is looking at other ways to maintain a high level of
police service in the face of fewer resources and funds.
Soon, the Monrovia PD will add a crime-mapping
capability on its web site, allowing residents to be vigilant
about crime activity occurring in their neighborhood. Plans
also are in the works to make calls for service available
online live, reducing calls from residents to the watch
commander when they see squad cars roll up to a crime or
accident scene.
account keeping residents as plugged in as possible into
crime and public safety issues.
And like many other law enforcement agencies, Arcadia
uses the Nixle communication tool that allows police to
send out messages and alerts over cell phones, e-mail and
the Web to residents who’ve signed up for the service. Nixle
is a state-of-the art way for police to warn residents of recent
crime activity, a description of a suspect or missing child or
person, traffic congestion – anything they want.
“At a time when we don’t have the funding for large
resources, we have to embrace and use technology to the
best of our advantage,” Guthrie says.
Social media tools like Facebook have allowed the Arcadia
Police Department not only to quickly reach residents, but
also to quickly hear from them.
“The community feels more in touch with our police
department because we’re communicating with them
– sometimes even faster than their neighbors and the news
media,” Guthrie says.
Hunt has his eyes on something even bigger: introducing
digital online reporting and video conferencing reporting
to free up police officers from having to take crime reports
while in the field. Currently, such so-called “cold reports”
– cases with no suspects, leads or evidence — are hugely
time consuming, and make up the majority of reports taken
daily by police agencies throughout the state.
A police agency has yet to introduce the use of
videoconference technology for taking reports, according to
Hunt. Monrovia aims to be the first, he says.
With the new videoconferencing technology, an officer
would be able to peer into a laptop or mobile device and
take down information from a victim without having to
leave the police station. A victim of, say, a vehicle burglary
could upload photos to the detective, saving a lot of time for
both parties.
“We keep losing personnel, so we have to keep looking for
ways to do things more efficiently,” Hunt says. “I think a lot
of law enforcement agencies are headed this way.”
When they do, both Hunt and Guthrie are sure to find
them quickly – with just a click of the mouse. •
Fall 2011
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