By Louis Hoglund
Industrial strength is how Perhams police chief described the laptop computers that he plans to purchase for his officers.
All law enforcement agencies will be obtaining this new technology, said Chief Brian Nelson at the May 8 Perham City Council meeting. With all software and other items, it will probably cost $20,000 for a pair of the Panasonic Tough Book computers.
Officers will be able to run drivers license and vehicle checks right from the squad car, said Nelson, rather than phoning into the Otter Tail sheriffs department, where there are frequent bottlenecks at the dispatchers desk.
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Ultimately, we will be on the same data base and we can call up somebodys complete record in the squad car, said Nelson. This means, for example, officers could enter the name of a drunk driving suspect, and virtually every contact with law enforcement would be displayed on the computer screen--from a parking ticket to a felony conviction.
Otter Tail County deputies are testing them now, noted Nelson. Interestingly, there have been very few of the glitches and problems that were anticipated with the new technology, added Nelson.
The laptops transmit via cell phone towers, but require less of a signal than cell phones, so the reception has been good throughout the county.
Most departments will be purchasing equipment in 2006 and begin operations. Full, county-wide implementation is expected in 2007.
In other police department news, there were a total of 176 contacts in April. Topping the list of activity were the 23 traffic warnings, and 15 traffic tickets.
Two assault cases were reported; nine animal complaints; seven harassment calls; six cases of vandalism; five driving under the influence cases; and ten disturbance-noise complaints.
