County 911 to provide Elizabeth police with records system
Elizabeth police will receive a new records management system through Allegheny County 911 next month.
Officer-in-Charge Tim Butler made the announcement at the borough council meeting Tuesday.
He said the records system, Total Enforcement by TriTech Software Systems, will be given to the borough for free, and is projected to be in use by April 13.
The borough currently pays $1,200 a year to John Drabisin Network & PC Solutions for its police system. This year's payment has not been made yet.
Butler said he is unsure how the transition to the new system will be made but he remains optimistic about Total Enforcement's capabilities.
“The computer system will save officers time,” Butler said. “Monthly state reports that take hours to do can now be done in minutes. Officers will be able to issue citations by printing them out. The driver's information (at a traffic stop) that comes from dispatch can be placed into the digital citation and then printed. Time that officers spend on traffic stops should be cut in half.
“Traffic stops are dangerous since officers are stopped on the side of the road and standing next to the suspect's vehicle on the side of the road. It takes an average of 10 minutes to stop a vehicle and issue a citation, so if they can do it in five, it is less of a chance for someone to get hurt on the side of the roadway.”
Council president Monica Douglas said the system will be a welcome upgrade to the police department.
“We're woefully behind where we need to be,” Douglas said.
Council voted unanimously to spend up to $3,665 for printers in police cars, a scanner for the evidence room and a firewall upgrade for the police computer systems.
Council vice president Robin Miller and Councilmen Chad Rager and Paul Shaner were absent.
The purchases were necessary to go along with the new records system, Butler said.
Council terminated the employment of part-time probationary officer Casey Perrotta. Butler said Perrotta served the department for past six months. Butler and other borough officials declined to comment on Perrotta's termination, citing personnel matters.
Perrotta's departure leaves the department with seven part-time officers and Butler, who works full time.
Councilors said they will interview eight candidates over the next few weeks — four from within the police department and four from outside — for one full-time officer position.
A new hire could be approved as soon as the next council meeting, which is April 28 at the Elizabeth Learning Center at 207 Third Ave.
Michael DiVittorio is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-664-9161, ext. 1965, or mdivittorio@tribweb.com.
