Politics & Government

Brick PD to Switch to 'E-Ticketing'

Move will promote safety, productivity in department, chief says

Brick police officers will be safer and more productive once a new "e-ticketing" program is installed in township police cars.

Chief Nils R. Bergquist said the software, approved for purchase by the township council last month, will free up administrative staff and court staff, and help make traffic stops safer and significantly faster to complete.

The e-ticketing program is a combination of computer software, hardware and a server network that allows officers in their patrol cars to simply swipe a motorist's driver's license during a traffic stop instead of manually enter information into a computer system or radio to headquarters for a dispatcher to look up information.

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Once a driver's license is swiped, information on the driver appears, including whether the driver has warrants. If the officer decides to issue a summons, the form is automatically populated and no handwriting is required.

"That certainly increases efficiency, but it also makes it safer for the motorist and the police officer because they spend so much less time off the road," said Bergquist, reducing the chance of an accident.

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Additionally, he said, officers don't have to look down to access information and write summonses, leading to a greater awareness of surroundings and a higher level of personal safety.

"It is certainly the wave of the future," said Bergquist.

In addition to the benefits of e-ticketing in the field, Bergquist said the technology allows summons information to be automatically transmitted to the municipal and state court systems, freeing up the time administrative workers currently take to manually enter violation information.

"It's a very efficient and safe system," he said.

The measure passed a township council vote unanimously. The entire system will cost $275,000 which was allocated in the township's 2012 capital budget, said Business Administrator Scott Pezarras.

The resolution last month awarded the contract to New World Systems of Troy, Mich.

Councilman John Ducey agreed the move would create a new level of efficiency in the department.

"Currently, they have to manually write summonses," said Ducey, at a recent council meeting. "That takes a lot of time."

The systems should begin to be installed in township police cars soon.


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