A lot about policing has gotten more complicated over the last 50 years, and that includes its vehicles. Police vehicle consoles in particular — the central hubs that accommodate radios, communications equipment, computers, lighting and siren controls and other advanced technology — have become substantially more sophisticated.
Facing that growth in complexity, customers of longtime police vehicle equipment manufacturer Setina — which developed the first partition for police vehicles back in the 1960s and continues to bring new innovations to the vehicle space — have increasingly turned to the company for help.
“Consoles have been around for a long time, and we keep getting asked to come into that space because we have such a strong reputation for testing, developing and manufacturing high-quality products,” said company Vice President Judy Setina.
With recent changes in the market and growing customer demand, the timing is right, and Setina is now introducing its police vehicle console line nationally.
“We’ve actually been making consoles for decades, and we’ve put a lot of time and work into developing them,” said Brett Ware, the company’s national sales manager. “This isn’t something we developed overnight. We’ve consulted with agencies, upfitters and officers to create a product with important ergonomic, functional and installation benefits. Due to popular demand, we’ve decided to roll it out nationwide. We’re not the first to market, but we’ve put a lot of effort into getting it right.”
‘The fit and finish are going to be better’
Setina has produced consoles in limited numbers over the years for select agencies, including law enforcement organizations it works closely with in its home state of Washington. The experience and feedback gained from those installations helped the company refine a console designed around durability, functionality, flexibility and officer comfort.
“It has some really good benefits,” said Judy Setina. “We put a lot of effort into the construction, functionality, customization and the options we provide. Using aircraft-grade aluminum helps keep the weight down, while features such as our swiveling armrest enhance officer comfort during long shifts.”
Setina has produced consoles in limited numbers over the years for a few select agencies, including key local organizations it works closely with in its home state of Washington. The experience and insight gained from that provide advantages in both a durable build and comfortable ease of use.
Setina
One major advantage of the new console line is the ability to accommodate the different equipment configurations found in today’s police vehicles.
A “deep body” console provides additional front-to-back clearance behind the control-head faceplate, creating room for bulkier equipment, wiring and connectors. The extra depth can accommodate larger control heads, remote radio modules, amplifiers and other equipment requiring additional mounting space. It is particularly well suited for midsize and smaller SUVs, including vehicles such as the Dodge Durango.
For full-size SUVs and trucks, Setina offers a wider configuration that combines additional depth with increased lateral space. This provides room for multiple devices and control heads while supporting the communications, computer and electronic equipment required in today’s patrol vehicles.
Space inside a police vehicle is valuable, and thoughtful console design can help accommodate essential equipment while preserving legroom, arm and side space, as well as safe ingress and egress.
“We’ve heard from so many people who tell us, ‘This just doesn’t fit right,’ or who are having trouble with their faceplates and equipment layouts,” said Judy Setina. “We’ve had users come in and show us the issues they’re experiencing and tell us what they would like to see. We’ve done a lot of research into what officers, agencies and upfitters want from their consoles, and we believe the fit and finish are going to stand out.”
Bringing full-size printing into the console
Setina is also bringing another innovation to the patrol vehicle workspace with a patent-pending built-in printer designed to accommodate full-size paper directly within the console.
Printers integrated into police vehicle consoles are not entirely new. Compact printers using rolls of paper have been available for years. Setina’s approach takes the concept further by developing an integrated solution designed around standard full-size paper, giving officers greater flexibility to print reports, forms, citations and other documents from their mobile workspace.
Instead of adding a separate full-size printer elsewhere in an already crowded vehicle interior, Setina’s design incorporates the printer directly into the console. The result is a cleaner installation that makes more efficient use of valuable cabin space while keeping printed documents readily accessible to the officer.
The innovation reflects the same philosophy Setina has applied to police vehicle equipment for decades: Identify a practical challenge faced by officers and upfitters, then engineer a solution specifically around the demands of law enforcement.
“Today’s patrol vehicle has become an officer’s mobile office,” said Judy Setina. “We wanted to look beyond simply providing a place to mount radios and electronics. Officers still need the ability to print full-size documents in the field, and finding a good place for a printer can be a challenge. Integrating a full-size paper printer directly into the console is another way we can make better use of the space available and make the officer’s workspace more functional.”
The patent-pending printer system also illustrates Setina’s broader approach to entering the national console market: Rather than simply developing another console, the company looked for opportunities to rethink how officers interact with the entire workspace.
Creature comforts make life better
Discussions of ergonomics signify just how far police vehicle consoles have come. At first they were strictly utilitarian, designed primarily to accommodate officers’ new two-way radios in the mid-20th century. Interior layouts were minimalist, with boxes, brackets and other equipment added wherever space permitted.
From the 1960s through the 1980s, as radios became more common, vehicles began incorporating more dedicated mounting for radio control heads and switches for lights, sirens and PA systems. Ad hoc installations gradually gave way to more formal console designs using metal boxes or panels between the seats. Those early designs were strong and functional, but officer ergonomics were not yet a major consideration.
Mobile data terminals added another challenge. Early systems were large and generated considerable heat, with cumbersome displays, keyboards and wiring. Technology has advanced significantly since then. Computers and radios have become smaller and more powerful, while the patrol vehicle itself has increasingly become an officer’s mobile workspace.
That evolution has placed greater emphasis on ergonomics, modularity, durability, equipment accessibility and efficient use of interior space.
“Ergonomics is a really big thing with these consoles,” said Ware. “For example, one thing we have that a lot of consoles surprisingly don’t is a cutout for a sidearm. A lot of people complained that when you’d get in, you’d run into the console with your sidearm. That’s uncomfortable, and it’s digging up your holster. And if you were to get into an accident, that’s a potential place for injury.”
Less of a safety issue but still important to everyday usability are smaller comfort features — one example being cup holders.
“We met with the Los Angeles PD, and they told us cup holders were really important, so we provided large cup holders,” said Judy Setina. “We had meetings with them to talk about an optional box to secure small firearms. And they told us, ‘Well, as long as you don’t come into our cup holder space, that would be OK.’”
“Sometimes those little creature comforts can make life just a little bit better,” noted Ware.
Key benefits support safer, more efficient policing
The optional secure small-arms box is one of several additional features available with the new Setina console. The system is compatible with keyboards and laptop mounts and integrates with faceplates from major equipment manufacturers. Available USB and power ports support additional electronics, while discreet red and white map lights provide targeted illumination when needed.
The console also provides an ideal location for integration with Setina’s SmartBelt electronic seat belt system, which can alert officers when a detainee in the rear seating area becomes unsecured.
A no-holes-drilled mounting system helps simplify installation while preserving the vehicle. And with Setina’s patent-pending integrated full-size paper printer, agencies have another option for incorporating an important piece of patrol equipment without sacrificing additional cabin space to a separately mounted printer.
Together, these features are designed to create a cleaner, more organized and ergonomic mobile workspace — helping officers access equipment more efficiently, reduce unnecessary movement and distraction, and make better use of the limited space inside today’s patrol vehicles.
“The quality you’re going to see in this console,” said Judy Setina, “will be exactly the quality you see in all the other Setina products we have.”
For more information, visit Setina.
