Issue link: http://lawandordermag.epubxp.com/i/65600
SPECIAL REPORT: IN-CAR COMPUTING E-Ticketing From Start To Finish SUMMARY Electronic citations, or e-Ticketing, reduces time and money spent writing paper tickets. Advanced Public Safety's ReportBeam™ enhances officer efficiency in the field. MORE INFORMATION www.aps.us APS REPORTBEAM E-TICKETING… FROM START TO FINISH By Sharon Kissane T he system of electronic traffic tickets, better known as e-ticketing, is a speedier, safer, and more accurate way to write warning and traffic tickets. The speed of the process affects officer and public safety. "The more time a police officer spends in writing out a ticket, the larger the window of opportunity for a moving vehicle to hit the stopped squad car," said Commander Jason Williams, Bellwood, lll. Police. Writing tickets by hand leads to the potential for illegible handwriting, making it difficult for department clerks to de- cipher information when processing tickets. Williams has heard more than one traffic court judge complain that they could not read what was written on the ticket. In addition, it's possible for officers to make mistakes in writing information from a driver's license or vehicle registra- tion to the ticket, including transposing numbers. In fairness, 58 LAW and ORDER I May 2012 a lot of attention-dividing activities, including officer safety, take place while writing a ticket during a traffic stop. The Chicagoland police departments of South Barrington, Bellwood, Crestwood and Matteson have been pilot testing e-ticketing with Advanced Public Safety's ReportBeam™, a field-based reporting software system. Bellwood Police Chief Rodney Boyd and South Barrington Chief Michael Deegan in- dicated the new system fulfills their goals of becoming more efficient and paperless. APS ReportBeam The APS ReportBeam solution is an advanced Field-Based Re- porting (FBR) solution. It consists of computer-based software, server side software, and a Web-based application that enables agencies to create an electronic version of any form/document and automate the mandatory processing associated with most agency paperwork, i.e., approvals, reporting. The ReportBeam solution contains five core modules. Electronic Forms – ReportBeam enables agencies to create Electronic Forms™ that are an exact replica (or complete re- design) of any agency form/document, including warning and traffic tickets.