11:56
AM CST on Monday, March 7, 2005
By Mike Zientek / 11 News
Click to watch video
One area police department has a
leg up on the others when it comes to writing tickets.
In Oak Ridge North, just south of
Conroe, officers no longer have to carry those all-too familiar
ticket books. New ticket technology is saving tons of time.
KHOU-TV
A magnetic card swipe device in
his and other officers' cars has taken the place of the
traditional ticket book.
When Oak Ridge North Police Officer
James Kipness goes on patrol these days, there is something missing.
"It just takes repetition, just to get acclimated to it. And before
long I'll probably forget how to write a paper ticket. Who knows?
This swipe device in his and other
officers' cars has taken the place of the traditional ticket book.
The machine records information
from the magnetic strip on the violator's driver's license. It sends
that data right into the officer's laptop, so the officer never has
to write it down.
A small printer spits out the
ticket, cutting a 15-minute traffic stop down to seven or eight.
"Even in a small city, it's
important that we utilize our resources -- we don't have many
resources obviously, being a small city," said Chief Andy Walters.
Police there said the new system
isn't just making things more convenient for them, it's also saving
municipal court clerks valuable time as well.
That's because the machine can
wirelessly send the information from the officer's car, directly
into the clerk's computer. No inputting.
'"My generation, we didn't grow up
with the computers and the keyboards and we didn't grow up with all
the things that younger folks have now," said Chief Andy Walters,
Oak Ridge North Police Department.
And the next generation is now in
Oak Ridge North.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
