EAST FRANKLIN -- Pinpiointing a trooper's exact location to mere feet and inches may be done at the push of a button for state police who use the latest in computer technology to keep track of vehicles and troopers and record minute details of all stops.
Cpl. Michael Bramlet of the state police at East Franklin said all patrol cars are now equipped with Global Positioning Satellite locators that not only tell a trooper his or her exact position on a given roadway but also make it easy for supervisors to pinpoint the location in any emergency.
"This is great for an officer's safety," Bramlet said "and since the GPS units are coordinated to maps on the in-car computer screens, officers can find their way to remote or out-of-the-way locations in seconds."
However, 21st century technology doesn't stop there. Bramlet said patrol cars also are equipped with on-board color cameras and sound recording devices.
"We now have cameras that enable us to zoom-in on a license plate and record the number or positively identify the driver of any vehicle," he said. "This is especially useful when we are involved in a pursuit or on our way to an emergency call and we have a driver who won't pull over and stop to let us go by. Pulling over for an emergency vehicle is required by law, and from now on, we will be recording the license numbers of vehicles that do not pull over and also photographing the driver. They will be issued traffic citations."
Bramlet added, however, that on-board cameras have a far more important function than recording drivers who don't yield to emergency or police vehicles. He said they act as a silent and impartial witness to all traffic stops.
"Once our emergency lights go on the camera begins recording automatically," he said. "Every detail of even routine traffic stops is recorded, Each car has a hard drive locked in a special vault in the trunk. The hard drive can be downloaded to a computer and a disc is made should the need arise for evidence in a later court case. This has proven especially useful in driving-under-the-influence cases or pursuits of fleeing vehicles. The cameras function perfectly in bright or very low light conditions, even on dark nights."
Bramlet said that in addition to state-of-the art cameras, troopers carry a voice recording device. The super-sensitive recorder sends every word of conversation between troopers and drivers to the computer's hard drive.
Bramlet said every car is equipped with a sophisticated computer that allows police to do more than a routine check on a person through the National Crime Information Center.
"We can scan a person's driver's license and verify that the picture on the photo is really them," he said. "Sometimes you have people whose license is suspended and they try to use a sibling's license. You can't fool the computer. We can not only check VIN and plate numbers, but we can instantly call up lists of stolen items if we suspect a driver of having stolen goods in their possession. We can also use the computer to check the serial numbers of firearms or verify the serial numbers of stolen cameras or electronic equipment, for example.
"The recorded information cannot be altered in any way, and we believe it goes a long way to promote officers' safety, as well as providing solid documentation of any and all police matters. It also allows car-to-car and car-to-headquarters communication without messages going out over common radio frequencies. It also aids in recovering stolen goods and getting them back to the rightful owners. This technology is a more than welcome addition to our agency."
