NCJ Number
189624
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 28 Issue: 7 Dated: July 2001 Pages: 108-110,112,114
Date Published
July 2001
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article examines use of Personal Digital Assistants in law enforcement.
Abstract
At their most basic, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) serve as appointment books, address books, to-do lists, wristwatches, and calculators. They can perform other functions as well, some of which are very specific to law enforcement. They have enough power to handle tasks for which users otherwise would need to carry around a laptop -- reading e-mail, composing memos, connecting to the Web, and looking up client contact information in a database. Some police agencies have used PDAs to collect revenues on outstanding tickets and to generate traffic citations. Other agencies are beginning to field test an application for traffic collision reports. Another agency is nearly ready to provide about 30 units to its motorcycle and bicycle patrol officers, hoping to use them to do computer records checks of drivers' licenses. Other prospective uses are providing SWAT teams with digitized floor plans of a university campus uploaded in a command post, and allowing school resource officers to query gang databases.