Government Technology - September 2008 - (Page S3)

Better Access to Data Ocean County, N.J., finds a more efficient way to get criminal data to officers on the street with BIO-key Sprint PocketCop for BlackBerry smartphones. Here’s the scenario Lt. Mike Nevil does not want to see: A cop is on surveillance. A car pulls up. The officer uses his voice radio to call dispatch and has to wait while the dispatcher “runs the plate” through state and federal sources for information on the owner and any stolen vehicle report. Meanwhile, the bad guys pick up the voice exchange on a scanner and flee or take an offensive stance. The BlackBerry solution and Sprint together have attracted developers whose ideas extend beyond the simple exchange of voice, e-mail and other basic data. As this explosion of new applications unfolds, public-sector users continue to discover new ways to better serve the public. Take for instance BIO-key International ®, whose PocketCop ® “Now if we are out on the road and we are doing a sexual predator case, we can run that person’s information and get back a picture from our DMV.” Lt. Mike Nevil, Computer Crimes Unit, Prosecutor’s Office, Ocean County, N.J. application for the BlackBerry smartphone allows law enforcement to quickly and securely query state and national data sources for crucial criminal information. Software maker Wallace Wireless’ Wallace Information Communicator application for BlackBerry smartphones simplifies communications and facilitates the management and sharing of video feeds and other data in real time, allowing first responders to act quickly in emergency situations. Another application that protects first responders is GeoSpatial GST Tracker. That helps emergency responders keep track not only of vehicle locations using their BlackBerry smartphones, but also the locations of specific individuals. All of these applications build upon an existing infrastructure. In the most practical sense, top leadership in many departments already carries BlackBerry smartphones. New innovations in diverse areas offer one more reason to extend that usage departmentwide. This complements the low cost and ease of use for which the BlackBerry smartphone already is renowned. Even more to the point, the breadth of these applications speaks to further evolutions yet to come. A surge of new applications is building, and the BlackBerry solution, together with Sprint, stands poised to develop a broad and deep diversity of tools, tools that will ensure the public sector is well equipped to face whatever challenges the future may hold. As a lead player in the Computer Crimes Unit in the Ocean County, N.J., Prosecutor’s Office, Nevil doesn’t want covert operations blown by the use of cell phones or radios. And he doesn’t want cops waiting for criminal histories and suspects’ bios. Since early spring, Nevil has been tackling the problem with a combination of Sprint connectivity, BlackBerry smartphones and software from BIO-key, whose PocketCop application puts criminal data into officers’ hands quickly and securely. BIO-key allows for real-time retrieval of motor vehicle, warrant and criminal history information in a mobile environment. Officers can use the system to query federal and state sources. They can trace a gun, run a plate or do a background check in a secure environment. With growing gang activity in the area, such capabilities can give police an edge, Nevil said. “Now if we are out on the road and we are doing a sexual predator case, we can run that person’s information and get back a picture from our DMV,” he said. “When the person comes on scene, we can recognize right away that this is the guy we are looking for.” The system overcomes some inherent limitations of a phonebased records search. “If you get information over the phone and you are writing it down, our concern is that if you are spending time doing that, you may not be able to pay enough attention to what you are looking at,” Nevil said. Looking ahead, Nevil said he would like to use PocketCop to give users access to the county’s own compendium of criminal activity, which includes crucial data such as whether a suspect has been armed and dangerous in the past, and make that available to local law enforcement. “Their interest, obviously, is in their local area,” he said, “but we want everyone to have that bigger countywide view.” For more information on PocketCop on BlackBerry smartphones, go to www.bio-key.com/ps/pocketcop-reg.asp or call BIO-key at: 800.400.6311 http://www.bio-key.com/ps/pocketcop-reg.asp

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Government Technology - September 2008

Government Technology - September 2008 Contents Point of View On the Scene Big Picture Four Questions for... Up Close Fork in the Road On Time and On Target On the Record, Off the Charts Government’s Greatest Asset? Easy Access Finding the Money Security in the Wireless World The Case for Mobility Spectrum Products Two Cents signal:noise Digital Communities Contents A New Government Paradigm News is Now Transformation Web 2.0 Style Protecting Community Media Thinking Regionally Government at La-Z-Boy Speed

Government Technology - September 2008

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