By Police1 Staff
WILLOUGHBY, Ohio — As agencies around the country have had to cut their budgets during the recession, technology has filled the void in many cases.
One of those ways is video conferencing, which allows suspects who are in custody to do their court appearances digitally, which saves the city money and eliminates the risk of escape during transport.
At first, some cops in Northern Ohio were slow to accept video arraignments because of the paperwork it involved, according to the News-Herald, but that changed as the officers learned how easy it was.
As technology advanced, the method became increasingly popular.
Arraignments often take place within 24 to 48 hours of the arrest, which means the suspects involved can be pretty explosive, one judge said.
Video conferencing eliminates the danger that comes with escorting theses people from jail to the courthouse.
Since it also saves a great deal of money and still accomplishes the same thing as an in-person meeting, its popularity is expected to grow.
“The advances of technology have given us the ability to save law enforcement money and keep police officers on the streets,” a county prosecutor said.