By Michael Cayes
Mooring Tech, Inc.
This article is provided by Mooring Tech, Inc. and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Police1.
Twenty years ago, if you had told a law enforcement officer that they would be able to fly a drone over a hostage situation or shoot a GPS dart at a vehicle and track it to avoid a high speed chase, the most likely response would be disbelief, or even laughter. Thanks to new and rapidly-improving pieces of equipment, these things are possible and becoming easier every day.
In the case of technology and the police force, it seems to hold true that the best offense is a good defense. Giving officers equipment to obtain information, and portable tablets to store it inside their vehicles on patrol, has given police forces more rapid response times and better control over situations than ever before.
A crucial characteristic of such devices is their durability. In the line of duty, the first priority is gaining control of the situation and making sure that the people involved are okay. The technology used needs to be able to handle its own in tough situations. With this in mind, newer models of items like the ReconScout are equipped to withstand more pressure, and cover a wider variety of terrains. These robots have been used in many cases to replace K-9 duties; while the financial cost of canine and robot is comparable, the emotional toll of damage to the equipment is significantly less. As Sgt. Carter Staaf of the Eden Prairie Police Department in Minnesota says, “That’s a $20,000 dog and there’s an emotional attachment to it if something happens to it…There’s zero emotional attachment if something happens to the robotic camera. If it gets shot, picked up or smashed by an assailant, then at least you know that the bad guy is there.”
Of course, these information-gathering tools are only as effective as the machines they are transmitting to. As drones and cameras become more adaptable and ruggedized, so do tablets and laptops that can be kept in patrol vehicles and taken out on calls. Companies like Mooring Tech, Inc. have worked for years to create cutting edge versions of these mobile products that can be taken anywhere in the field and will stand a chance at surviving attack, shock, and other field hazards.
The Panasonic Toughpad looks like a standard Microsoft-operating tablet—until you see that it is secured with military-grade casing. For added security, biometric scanners to allow access for authorized users, and no one else. This keeps information safely in the hands of those who will protect it. Many pieces of equipment used in the field have software compatible with these Toughpads or their larger laptop cousins, the Toughbooks. All Panasonic Toughpad and Toughbook products are customizable, and all are equipped to operate wirelessly. Though the specialized protective equipment on both tablets and ancillary devices means that prices are unlikely to drop, developers have done their best (in most cases) to make products cost-effective and readily available. And ultimately, the worth of the lives saved because of the information generated by these products is immeasurable.