This Year’s Highlights
New Look for Chandler Patrol Vehicles
In 2017, the Fleet team worked closely with the Department’s Vehicle, Equipment and Uniform (VEU) Committee and police administrators to redesign the exterior appearance of the patrol cars. A new black and white color scheme, as illustrated above, was the final result. From the onset, the team worked with a goal of maintaining cost neutrality in any design changes. The conversion of the fleet vehicles to this new color scheme will occur as they are replaced. This is expected to be completed over the next couple of years.
Leveraging Technology to Improve Policing
We continually challenge ourselves with ways to use technology to maximize our internal strategies resulting in better tools, stronger partnerships, and a more effective department. Our focus on technology, and our capacity to anticipate, adopt, and integrate existing and future advances, are primary to best practices in policing. Our successes are a result of the commitment and vision to understanding the role of technology as the department faces an ever changing environment in today’s policing. This year’s highlights continue to expand our foundation to meet tomorrow’s needs.
- 2017 saw an unprecedented evaluation of the work-space in the patrol car. Typically, upon receipt of a new vehicle, it would be “up-fitted” to accommodate a mobile data computer, a radio, and other tools necessary for performing patrol functions. While ergonomics has always been a concern, the priority has been to fit the equipment into the vehicle so that these items were accessible. However, this year, the Department’s Fleet Unit and the Vehicle, Equipment, and Uniform Committee shifted the way of looking at equipment placement. Instead of making everything fit, these groups chose to view the inside of a Patrol vehicle as a mobile office – particularly since so much of an officer’s time is spent in these tight quarters. This focus drove some innovative approaches to placement of the tools, including moving the radio and vehicle control panel to an overhead set up. This created more workable space in the vehicle and now allows officers to keep eyes on the road when changing radio channels and when activating lights and sirens. Another improvement is that cars are now being outfitted with printers and driver’s license card readers – speeding up processes for routine traffic stops and citation issuance.
- Body worn cameras (BWCs) were rolled out to all Patrol officers in 2016. This year, officers perfected the usage of this technology. Also, 2017 saw an update to BWCs that improved stability while being worn. This allows the capture of clear images in dynamic situations such as foot pursuits.
- On the crime fighting front, Chandler police officers utilize technology to target problem areas for particular types of theft. Products such as 3SI asset tracking and Smartwater CSI traceable liquids give police the capability to mark and track just about any item.
- Chandler Fashion Mall and the Department have partnered together for real-time access to security video recordings at the mall. This improves communication to officers responding to calls for service. This unprecedented access to their security video recordings will improve safety for officers and mall patrons, as well as criminal apprehension.
- Regarding data technology, the Department joined the Police Data Initiative to strengthen the relationship between citizens and police through uses of data that increase transparency and build community trust.
- The Technology Section, in an effort to maintain seamless connections with the Department’s satellite facilities, developed a link with the Gilbert Chandler Unified Holding Facility. This allows detention officers to access booking record information that originated in officers’ vehicles or at Police Headquarters. As a result, a number of redundancies were eliminated and booking processes were streamlined.
- Other emerging technology projects include a pilot program involving the use of smart phones by officers in the field, and the recent acquisition of two unmanned aerial vehicles.
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Promotions – Way to Go!
