New traffic crash report system purchased with $74,428 grant for area police
Local police agencies are looking to put a $74,428 technology award from the Office of Highway Safety Planning to use in modernizing their forces’ reporting.
The grant will be used to buy an Electronic Crash Capture system, which will be used countywide and builds on the Justice Assistance grant attained in October 2009.
“This system is more efficient because officers can spend more time in patrol units by finishing a crash report in their car,” said Mount Pleasant Police Public Information Officer Jeff Browne.
The grant will cover the whole cost of the purchase of the software, licensing, training of personnel, software configuration, maintenance and installation of the system.
The MPPD, CMU Police, Isabella County Sheriff’s Department, Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police, Shepherd Police and the Michigan State Police will all be able to electrically submit traffic crash reports to the state of Michigan.
Browne said all of the local police forces share the same record system and they all work cooperatively.
“The report uploads to the computer system and sends a copy to the state system once the sergeant reviews the report,” Browne said. “This new system will allow local police agencies to send their information sooner.”
The new system will not upload a crash report if it contains any errors. Browne said it eliminates the use of paper crash reports.
The ECC system will also allow officers to swipe a driver’s license and the driver’s information will automatically be uploaded to the report.
A traffic ticket can be printed on the spot with the new system.
“If I issued you a ticket today, the information would automatically go to the court,” Browne said.
CMU Police Lt. Cameron Wassman said the ECC system will make it easier for both the driver and officer to file a crash report.
“The system is an improvement in efficiency,” he said. “It allows us to better share information with other agencies.”
According to a Mount Pleasant Police press release, Isabella County submits about 3,176 traffic crash reports a year to the Michigan State Police.
Wassman said the new system will make it more efficient to integrate other department databases.
“Once the ticket is written, the data will available for all other agencies right off the bat,” he said.
Browne said the new system will be installed and officers will be trained no later than Oct. 1.
“We’re trying to stay in the game, making a real push to get all the technology grants we can get,” Browne said.
