Associate Magazine FBINAA Q2-2023

Continued from "Wichitak, Kansas Police Department", on page 20

“I’ve already heard officers talk about the noticeable speed im provement with video and multiple-photo data transfers,” he said. “This helps when an officer is using a phone for large data transfers because security policies associated with smartphones require the screen to lock when the device hasn’t had a certain type of activity during a specified period. When large video files are being trans ferred, officers have to tap the screen during the upload to avoid it being timed out. With 5G, that won’t be necessary.” At the time of this article, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications, Wichita Police Department’s computer aided dispatch (CAD) provider, was rolling out an updated system that will provide full CAD functionality on the smartphones. This will result in a “connected officer” capability, according to Baird. “Officers will be able to receive calls when they’re away from their vehicle, plus run plates and DLs [driver’s licenses] through CAD. Ba sically, they’ll have full access to the information they need on their smartphones, regardless of their proximity to the patrol vehicle,” he said. Perhaps more notable – Baird says that officer safety will be improved. “Geolocation will be at an officer level, in addition to knowing where their vehicle is. During foot pursuits or large area searches, this is critical.” CONCLUSION It’s now been well over two years since Wichita Police Depart ment went fully mobile with smartphones and the experience has been a good one. Operational effectiveness and situational awareness have improved, and the level of customer service has increased. In sum, smartphones have served as a solid tech foundation on which additional capabilities have been layered while providing a level of general utility that no other single piece of equipment can match. You can learn more about how public safety agencies are im proving operational effectiveness, the Connecting Heroes program designed specifically for first responders, and 5G device, coverage, and access details by visiting T-Mobile.com/PublicSafety.

About the Author: Dale Stockton is a 32-year-veteran of law enforcement and founder of Below 100, an award-winning officer-safety initiative designed to reduce police line-of-duty deaths. He is a retired police captain from Carlsbad, California, and taught criminal justice classes for over 20 years. Stockton is also an accomplished technology practitioner who has managed major projects, including personnel locate devices, license plate recognition systems, and regional smartphone deploy ments. He is a graduate of NA Session 201.