ORLANDO – Twelve companies offering best-in-class technology solutions are helping launch a new industry coalition to support law enforcement and judicial authorities as well as help elected officials and the public learn about the safety and financial benefits of electronic citation technology.
The new eCitation Coalition (www.ecitationcoalition.com) includes manufacturers, distributors, value-added resellers and independent software vendors involved in providing an alternative to traditional paper-based citation systems to a variety of law enforcement, judicial and other governmental agencies.
The announcement of the new Coalition’s launch was made at the 2014 Executive Directors dinner of The Division of State Associations of Chiefs of Police (SACOP), which is the organizing body for the 50 state associations of chiefs of police.
As part of its efforts to support law enforcement and judicial authorities as well as inform elected officials and the public about eCitation technology, the Coalition announced it will pursue two primary objectives:
1) Educate key stakeholders audiences, including police officials and sheriffs, court officials, mayors, city councils, county board chairs and county boards, state legislators and the public as to the significant benefits associated with eCitation technology; and
2) Support state-level efforts to pass legislation that provides a small, dedicated funding source to help defray the initial acquisition and ongoing maintenance of eCitation systems. As part of this effort, the eCitation Coalition has drafted model legislation for state legislatures to consider that is similar to laws which have already been enacted in Illinois, Tennessee and Virginia.
“We are excited about the launch of the eCitation Coalition and what the Coalition can do to support both improved officer safety and overall greater efficiency in law enforcement and judicial administration,” said Jim Kaput , Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Zebra Technologies, a founding corporate member of the eCitation Coalition and industry leader in the manufacture of key hardware components used in many eCitation solutions.
Kevin Richardson, who serves as the Executive Director of the eCitation Coalition, explained that “electronic citation, also known as eCitation, is a mobile technology solution that automates the traditional, paper-based citation process. Technology-leading states, counties and cities are helping law enforcement agencies and court systems obtain eCitation as a way of helping enhance officer safety, reduce cost and maximize operating budgets by capturing revenue lost to errors associated with traditional paper-based systems.”
Richardson added: “With eCitation technology:
• Officer safety is increased by reducing the amount of time an officer is on the roadside.
• County and municipal governments are able to capture the revenue that is lost to errors common in paper-based citation system. This helps government hold the line on property, sales and income taxes.
• Judicial systems gain efficiencies that improve services to citizens and help stretch budget dollars further – eCitation is a win for taxpayers as it helps government improve its operational effectiveness.
• The amount of time needed to issue citations is substantially reduced, enabling law enforcement officers to spend more time on patrol and less time on paperwork.
• While no one enjoys being stopped for a traffic offense, eCitation enhances motorist convenience by substantially reducing the time required on the side of the road for a citation.”
Support for eCitation comes from experienced government leaders as well: “eCitation solves multiple issues that plague most paper-based systems,” said Keith Brin, Lake County, Illinois Circuit Court Clerk and a recognized leader in advancing eCitation technology. “In addition to increasing officer safety, eCitation aids courts by reducing processing costs and data entry errors and allows us to redeploy staff into higher value functions. With eCitation, courts and law enforcement alike enjoy greater efficiency and flexibility.”
The Coalition’s initial members include: Advanced Public Safety, Inc., BlueStar, Inc., Brazos Technology, Brother Mobile Solutions, Cardinal Tracking, Datamax-O’Neil, Ingram Micro, Inc., L-Tron Corporation, Motorola Solutions, Inc., Saltus Technologies, ScanSource, Inc. and Zebra Technologies Corporation. Membership in the Coalition is open to any company involved in the eCitation industry. To learn more about electronic citation technology, visit www.ecitationcoalition.com.