NCJ Number
223187
Journal
Law and Order: The Magazine for Police Management Volume: 56 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2008 Pages: 44,46-48,50
Date Published
May 2008
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article describes the Lexington system of mobile patrol briefing which provides patrol briefings to officers via their mobile data computer.
Abstract
By combining off-the-shelf PowerPoint software with the Lexington Police Department’s existing wireless communication system, Lieutenant Robert Stack was able to transmit vital information to each of the patrol vehicles in a format similar to what the officer sees during training and roll call. The Lexington system provides an officer-driven and supervisor-monitored system of agency specific notifications, most wanted, tactical tips, and various citywide crime trends and updates, all of which are facilitated by the officers themselves and done at virtually no cost to the agency. This article briefly describes the development of the Lexington system, the PowerPoint basics, and lessons learned from development and implementation. The best part of the mobile patrol briefing is the results: crimes that would have gone unsolved have been solved, stolen vehicles that might have slipped by unnoticed have been recovered, and wanted persons have been arrested sooner than later; all due to PowerPoint and thinking outside the box.