ConnPost.com
Friday, June 20, 2003
By ROB VARNON
SHELTON - Police officers finally seem to be winning the battle not the constant fight against crime but rather the one against paperwork.

Shelton, like 24 other Connecticut police departments, has signed on with East Haven-based NexGen Public Safety Software, the 1992 creation of Lee Wezenski, a Branford police officer.

"It saves hours," said Shelton Detective Ben Trabka of the department's system, initiated in 2001.

Trabka said in the old days there was no way to transfer information from one application to another. In some cases, officers had to fill out a report on a computer, print it out and then manually type the same information into another form, such as an arrest warrant application that could run 15 pages.

Rob Caponi, the Shelton department's system and information manager, called the old system "a dinosaur."

Wezenski said a lot of Connecticut police departments are dealing with systems they bought that just don't fit their needs and in some cases are way behind the times.

As an example, Wezenski said computers in police cars have been available since 1982, but are still a relatively new tool in Connecticut.

Shelton police cruisers are equipped with a built-in computer screen and a central processing unit in the glove compartment. Officers can access various files and programs by touching the screen and then inputting information on a keyboard.

"Officers can spend more time on the road and less time on the air because they can run their own plates," Caponi said, speaking of accessing information on a vehicle's license plate.

Before the system was installed officers had to call a dispatcher to find the records.

Caponi said the system also allows officers to fill out reports from their cars. This allows them to process information from investigations and accidents while its still fresh in their minds. Before NexGen, officers went to the station to fill out reports.

Part of the problem lies in Connecticut's political system, according to Wezenski, which places the majority of costs for new systems on small cities and towns, which have trouble raising money. He also said available systems are often too generalized to meet the specific needs of Connecticut departments.

Procedures from department to department vary, Wezenski said, which is why it's hard to find a single system that fits all needs. Wezenski and his workers build a system to meet the needs of each department.

Sal Annunziato, one of Wezenski's partners, said the company installs all the software and trains the officers. It can also provide hardware for the system. The cost for everything ranges between $100,000 to $200,000, Annunziato said.

While keeping officers on the road is an important feature of the program, Wezenski said NexGen is also trying to improve communication among departments.

Because police departments in many instances aren't running the same systems, one department may not know about a warrant or prior incident involving a person they stop in their town. Wezenski is developing a system in which the departments can talk to each other through a central database and in real time.

While paperwork appears to be flowing more quickly, Trabka, the Shelton detective, also said the system provides him with better information while investigating incidents.

Wezenski demonstrated how the system works from his East Haven office a few weeks ago. He typed in an address and case histories of previous incidents and those involved popped up. By selecting one of the names, a detective can get more information on that person's involvement in prior incidents. The program also provides links to other people the subject has been associated with during previous police calls.

NexGen hopes its system will become the state standard in public safety.

Rob Varnon, who covers business, can be reached at 330-6216.