NCJ Number
172229
Date Published
1996
Length
35 pages
Annotation
A public-private partnership was formed in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County to explore technology options that would help police departments know the exact location of field units and thus be more responsive to the public and to specifically evaluate an automatic vehicle location system (AVLS).
Abstract
System changes necessary to implement the project were identified, as well as changes in police department policies and procedures relative to technology implementation. The AVLS technology adopted had two major subsystems, a vehicle location subsystem and a communications network subsystem. The AVLS was used to identify police officers in the field and to facilitate cooperation among police departments sharing common boundaries. An evaluation of the AVLS focused on equipment allocation, mobile radio communications frequencies and interfaces, vehicle speed reporting, equipment protection, remote panic button implementation, emergency light status, and proof of patrol. Evaluation results showed the AVLS effectively determined police officer location and facilitated interagency cooperation. Specific benefits and drawbacks of the AVLS are discussed. An appendix contains information on how to install and use the AVLS Zone Trigger Report Generator. 1 table and 1 figure