Hartford Courant
June 27 2006
WEST HARTFORD -- The police department is getting a new computer system that will allow officers to easily access information and file reports from their cruisers, instead of going back to the station.

"Right now, we have something that we're used to, but there's an expectation that we can do better," Police Chief James Strillacci said. "If you watch TV shows like CSI, you get the impression that there are all sorts of high-tech gizmos available to the police. Most departments don't have those, but we can get a little closer."

The current system is about 20 years old, and Strillacci said it is antiquated, cumbersome and difficult to use.

"When you are holding someone by the side of the road, you want to be able to do a quick search to know what the person is involved in," he said. "It's efficiency. We collect a lot of information but can't get to it expeditiously."

The old model will be replaced by the Law Enforcement Administrative Software, a computer-aided dispatch and record management system that is sold by NexGen Solutions in East Haven. The police department is working with NexGen to install the software, train the officers to use it and transfer the old data so the new system is functional by the fall.

The software will assist with record- keeping, managing case information, sharing information with the fire department and dispatching, which includes recording the call information, prioritizing calls and tracking officers' availability.

A mobile component will let officers access in-house records from their car laptops and to file reports from their cruisers. This will allow police to be more visible in neighborhoods and to spend more time on patrol.

"It should be a time- and labor-saver," Strillacci said. "The access to information should be much quicker so we can not only serve the officers on the road, but also the public."

The town council approved the software purchase at its June 13 meeting. Town officials and the police spent more than a year researching different vendors and their products to find a quality, cost-effective model.

The NexGen system, including the license, software, hardware, data conversion and training costs $176,000. The mobile unit needed to connect the stationhouse to the cars will cost an additional $13,000 to $41,000, depending on the version the police department picks.

"We believe that public safety is a priority for the citizens, and NexGen is technology that may provide the officer with a slight advantage over the bad guy," Deputy Mayor Art Spada said. "That, in and of itself, is a great reason to proceed with the new technology. It will ultimately create a safer West Hartford."