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Sgt Russ James
(860) 584-3096
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| Sgt. James testing the computer system in the crime van. | The Bristol Police Technology Division was started in July of 1996. The division is headed by Sgt Russ James, former commander of the BPD Communications Division. This office was created of the great need to maximize man-power efficiency through new technology. A $340,000 federal grant allowed us to initiate a project of full computerization, on a department wide level.
Phase one of the technology upgrade has been completed. Members of the Bristol Police Department now have access to driver information, warrant listings, and mug-shot photos right in their cruisers. This has been a tremendous benefit to the officers in our continuing effort to make Bristol a safer city. The computers have also enhanced communication between all members of the Department. Officers can directly communicate with all members of the Department via a wireless E-Mail system from the cruisers.
We have also installed a computer imaging system. This system will allow us to capture and record all mug-shots in a digital data-base. This LAN based system will then allow us to electronically share photos with other police agencies, as well as send images to cruiser laptop screens for immediate suspect identification. With these systems, the savings in time, equipment, and man-hours is tremendous. The public will be better served, and our officers will spend less time on "in-station" details
Phase two will only add to that enhanced communication as a Windows based Computer Aided Dispatch is installed later this year. Officers can then be dispatched via their laptops instead of using valuable radio airtime.This step is also crucial to the third phase which will be an update of our records management system.
This upgrade will facilitate better tracking of police calls for service and more effectively utilize department manpower. This is a crucial step in continuing our commitment to provide a quality police service and the downward trend of criminal behavior in the City of Bristol... All the specifics will be documented herein, including: Photos of actual equipment, installation problems, makes & models, etc. Please check back frequently!
In-House Computer Networks..
In 1991 we installed a Unisys (Unix) 5000 series computer system in the BPD. The processor case itself was as large as a refrigerator and ran off of 386 based CPU technology. As more officers discovered the wealth of info now instantly available for their investigations, processing demands on the old 5000 increased, thus overall processing speed dropped to a snails pace. In 1995 we upgraded to a Unisys 6065 unit which runs off of a pair of Pentium CPUs'. The unit itself can be seen in the photo above.. The entire system now fits on a desktop! This includes a separate cabinet (left side of 2 above) for a pair of 2 Gigabyte disk drives, working as "mirror" image backup. The system is set to automatically backup all files at 02:00hrs daily onto a 1.4 Gigabyte "dat" tape. This tape is the size of a match-book! Our software vendor is the PSI International, Inc of Vacaville CA. They are the holding Co. for the former "MARK Systems" software development corporation, the actual creator of our application software. This software consists of 2 major facets: CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) and RMS (Record Management System). Making a very convoluted story short; Dispatchers enter calls for service in the CAD program screen. It automatically sorts, prioritizes, logs, prints, and assigns the call to the available unit(s) in nearest patrol "zone" to location of occurrence. CAD then creates a new "Incident" record in the main RMS database which is edited the next day by our Records Dept as the actual police reports come in from the field. Our new MCT (Mobile Computer Terminal) system promises to add a "Field Reporting" module which will allow officers to create, edit, print, and send reports to HQ via modem upload from their cruisers!
Prisoner Cell Block Monitoring & Recording..
Live-Time video monitors are strategically setup throughout the BPD HQ. This includes the Front Desk Lobby, Cell Blocks, and Booking Areas. All activity occurring is taped on a pair of Hi-Resolution VCR tape decks which also record sounds, times, dates, etc. The dispatchers each have a pair of 25" Panasonic monitors sitting atop the console in front of them. So does the office of Shift Commander. This system can be set to "Scan" the full array of camera setups or set to a single location such as the Female Cell Block.
Digital Photo Imaging & Electronic Booking..
Newly installed as of 01/97.. Arrest mug-shots are captured, and logged using digital computer technology. Photos are linked to individual data records with suspect demographics, charges, etc, and recorded in an on-line database. Paperwork and repetitive entries that took arresting officers off the street for hours, are now automatically printed out, in color, with suspect thumbnail photos attached with the click of a button! This system is connected to a MS Windows based LAN. This allows officers to call-up, search, and display any photo or record from locations around police HQ. Photo "Lineups" that had to be manually selected, assembled, and documented by "hand search" used to take several days to prepare. We now, for instance, simply ask the system: "..give me a 6 photo lineup assortment of white females between the ages of 38 & 42.." Within 5 seconds or less a full color display appears on our 17" Super VGA screen for victims to view. Another key press prints out the array with or without names, date, time, etc, for the record. This system, created and sold by LESD (Law Enforcement System Development) is now being configured for WAN (Wide Area Network) file sharing. With this, all police agencies in the Central CT area who are using the LESD system will be able to share mug-shots, and arrest records from all adjudicated files via modem link! This facet should be on-line by Spring of 1997. Another promising feature which is on the horizon is the capability for Patrol Officers to view suspect photos from within their cruisers via laptop Mobile Computer Terminals, now being installed.
Mobil Laptop Computer Terminal
In March of 1998, Bristol Police Department installed Mobil Computer Terminals into each cruiser. These computers gave the street officer a connection to the National and State database for motor vehicle, license, wanted person, and protective order information. The officer is also able to access the mug-shot photo array with all of the biographical information associated with each photo. This technology drastically increases officer safety while also allowing a higher degree of proactive policing in your neighborhoods.
The Office of Police Technology is attempting to accomplish online report writing from the cruiser in the near future. A test of this cutting edge technology is being scheduled for mid April. Bristol Police officers would have several thousand additional man hours for additional patrolling available to them with this technology. |