Contact: Elaine Tricoli
Phone: (336) 373-2421

New Laptops Mean More Efficiency for Police Officers

GREENSBORO, NC – (April 30, 2008) – New laptops are replacing outdated technology in Greensboro’s police cars, and the change will help Greensboro Police officers work more efficiently.

The Police Department has leased about 50 Panasonic laptops to replace the MobileVu systems that have been used by the GPD since 2003, said Anita McCoy, network services manager for the GPD. With the new laptops, officers can print e-citations, use CD-based training, and easily connect other equipment to the laptop’s USB port – tasks that were not possible with the MobileVu, she said. The new laptops will also enable the Police Department to work toward the installation of in-car cameras, she said.

McCoy said the new Panasonic laptops include a docking station in the vehicle that also serves as a charger for the computer. A fully charged laptop can operate on its own battery power or with an AC adapter if the officer leaves the vehicle.

Assistant Chief Harold Scott, who has been using the new computer, said the benefits are significant.

“Since it’s a laptop, it gives you access to everything you need right there inside the car,” Scott said. “And, if you go inside a building, you can take it out of the car and work on your reports while you’re inside the building. It doesn’t strap you down to the car.”

Another benefit, Scott said, is the laptop’s ability to retain information even when the car is turned off.

“With the previous computers, if you turned off the vehicle, you’d have to start all over again when you got back into the car,” he said. “Sometimes it would take eight to 10 minutes for the computer to get started again. If you got a call and tried to look at the information on the MobileVu, you could be two or three miles down the road before the information ever showed up on the screen. That’s why officers would leave their cars running.”

But with the new laptops, officers are immediately reconnected when the car is started.

Roughly 50 Panasonic laptops are currently being used by officers on patrol, and when funds are available, additional laptops will be leased to replace the remaining MobileVus.

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The City of Greensboro works in partnership with the community to build an increased quality of life for all residents by fostering an environment where inclusion, diversity, and trust are valued. As the seventh largest employer in Greensboro, the City has a dedicated professional staff of 2700 employees who maintain four core values of honesty, integrity, stewardship, and respect. The City of Greensboro is governed by a council-manager form of government where a mayor and eight council members act as the legislative body. For more information on the City of Greensboro, please visit us online at www.greensboro-nc.gov.