Government Technology - October 2007 - (Page 39)

called out twice, but both times the child was found before the investigation got under way. It’s inevitable, though, that the MAC will be called to duty, and the difference from hours to minutes — which is how Landsberg describes the difference in response time between now and before the vehicle — could save a life. Fully Loaded When Pasco Sheriff’s detectives arrive on the scene of a missing or abducted child case, they ask for photos or a negative or a digital card with an image of the missing child. “From the minute I get that [negative, photo or digital card] from you to the time I’m handing out posters is about 30 minutes,” they are consistent and similarly detailed. “We want to make sure that the information going out is live, it’s current, it’s accurate,” Landsberg said. Deputies monitor four live TV feeds in the vehicle to ensure a consistent message is disseminated. The total cost of the outfit was $160,000, all of which, Landsberg said, was procured through local fundraising efforts that included fish fries, window washing, and donations from local organizations and businesses. Inside the MAC The MAC mobile command center is packed with an array of technologies: · a 42-inch monitor; · two HP 5550 Color LaserJet printers capable of printing 28 pages per minute; · 10 GPS radio units to track searches and pinpoint points of interest or evidence; · a satellite dish, DVR and two TV receivers to monitor local news channels; · two high-lumen projectors capable of projecting images of the child on buildings at night; · multiple camcorders and adapters capable of converting photo information from slides, video and prints to DVD; and · multiple computers to update information instantly to the Pasco Sheriff’s Ofﬁce Web site; two 500-GB removable hard drives. “Minutes saved at the front end of a child abduction investigation can save lives. A mobile command center sounds compelling, especially if implemented on a regional basis.” Steve Szalay, executive director, California State Sheriffs’ Association Landsberg said. “Once we get on scene, we have the capability of taking any medium, whether it be a still photo, digital video, VHS tape, memory card — it doesn’t matter — we have a way of taking that and transposing it into a useable format.” The MAC, a 2006 Ford 450 customized by L&S Coaches, sports a 42-inch monitor affixed to the vehicle’s outside to brief the news media visually, and a PA system along with the monitor. It’s important to keep the media abreast of the situation as long as the search continues because they keep the public interested and informed. All the technology onboard gives the sheriff’s office many avenues for getting the message out about a missing child. It can send video to the local TV stations to be aired, and it can distribute fliers and posters to other media and local businesses to share with the public. “People learn in different ways: auditory, kinesthetic and visual,” Landsberg explained, adding that they remember different aspects of various means of communication differently. You can affect all three learners by playing that video on TV.” Though the messages can be broadcasted through different mediums, it’s important that All eight members of the Juvenile and Sex Offender Investigation unit have familiarized themselves with the technology onboard the vehicle. Two detectives from the Major Crimes Unit are trained to use it. “Training is horrendous because you have to know how all the technology works,” “Once we get on scene, we have the capability of taking any medium, whether it be a still photo, digital video, VHS tape, memory card — it doesn’t matter — we have a way of taking that and transposing it into a useable format.” Sgt. Brett Landsberg, Juvenile and Sex Offender Unit, Pasco County, Florida Landsberg said, adding that when time is available, he schedules training days to familiarize detectives with the MAC and the technology inside the vehicle. With more than 2,000 reports of missing children every day, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, chances are Pasco County will soon be in a position to use it. 39 http://www.govtech.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Government Technology - October 2007

Contents Point of View Big Picture The Last Mile GT Spectrum Letters How It Works Cerf on the Net Way Back Machine Separation Anxiety Let's Roll Rising to the Challenge Wednesday Afternoon Fever Parking Possibilities Products Signal: Noise

Government Technology - October 2007

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