From Staff Reports
With three toughbook computers, Pea Ridge Police Department is entering into a more technological phase and has begun to use e-ticketing.
"This will both save time and help increase safety for officers," Pea Ridge Police Chief Ryan Walker said.
Paper ticket books will be given up in favor of digital scanners. Several small communities have begun to use the new technology. Most larger municipalities already use some sort of e-ticketing software.
An electronic ticketing system improves efficiency, Walker said. Larger departments might be able to purchase military-grade laptops designed to resist sun damage or being dropped on concrete. A small department like his looks at refurbished equipment. Pea Ridge police have 14 cars, and eight of those are patrol vehicles. Outfitting all of them with computerized units could be expensive, but he's researching the issue.
Business growth in Pea Ridge has meant more calls to police, he said.
According to the monthly report for the City Council, Pea Ridge Police had 266 traffic stops in January, 265 in February and 216 in March. Time spent on traffic stops would decrease if less time was spent handwriting tickets, Walker said.
Officers are able to scan a driver's license and proof of registration and print out a ticket in their cars, with this technology.
Standing outside a car and keeping eyes on a piece of paper and the situation at hand is a safety issue for officers, Walker explained, adding that using the e-ticket program reduces the chance of human error.
"There's a lot of agencies that are coming on board now," said Jesse Martinez, Little Flock police chief.
Little Flock moved its fleet of seven cars to a digital ticketing system in fall 2014, he said. The city got an update from the state and now uses e-crash software to map wrecks with GPS data.
"I'm kind of a tech geek. We're a small department, but I want to be on the cutting edge," Martinez said.
Writing a paper ticket could take 10 to 15 minutes, Martinez said. The electronic version takes about five.
The software also allows Martinez to track when and where traffic stops are made.
Little Flock, a small community south of Pea Ridge, has seen a recent uptick in drug and alcohol arrests. People don't have to go through Little Flock but they will use it as a back door to Bentonville, Rogers and Pea Ridge, Martinez said.
"We get them coming through here because they're trying to stay off the main roads," he said.
There's a 30 mph speed limit in much of Little Flock, Martinez said, but it's unusual for a Little Flock officer to write a citation for a minor violation. Most tickets go to people going 15 mph over the speed limit, he said.
Traffic violations aren't a moneymaker for small cities, Martinez said. Much of the money goes to the state. Nor are there incentives for officers to write more tickets, he said.
Using the state software connects a small city to neighboring jurisdictions. Police can access court records through the Arkansas Crime Information Center. Police departments using e-cite, the Arkansas State Police software, are connected to other cities using the same software.
More information is a benefit to the officer when dealing with known criminals, police said.
General News on 05/04/2016