How to Improve Police Communication and Crime Prevention
Using Cloud Technology, DHQ 5.0 Fills Critical Gaps
by Jae-ann Rock
Law enforcement agencies have come a long way from the early days of two-way radios, manual processes, and paper-based systems. Just think…two-way radios used to be high-tech! But for the last few decades, law enforcement agencies have leveraged computer technologies and more recently, mobile technologies, to aid in policing.
Interestingly, way back in 1965, a Crime Commission formed to address dramatic rises in crime found that the adoption of computer technology alone didn’t result in better policing. It did not dramatically improve apprehension rates, deter criminal activity, or reduce crime rates. (Public Productivity Review, March 1980).
“After a failed first attempt, a computer-aided dispatch system (CAD) was installed in the San Diego Police Department….Although the new system is in operation, problems remain….” resulting in “the need to review all aspects of a communication system…”
This still holds true today. As a matter of fact, there has long been a critical gap in law enforcement communication – a gap that’s never been addressed – even with the latest CAD or RMS systems.
This “communication gap” came to the attention of Delphi Technology Solutions nearly 15 years ago. Through our IT work with municipalities and police/fire departments, the Delphi team identified the need for improved police communication to aid in suspect apprehension and crime prevention.
Delphi’s work with numerous law enforcement agencies identified an urgent need for an easy-to-use, secure, and highly effective policing communication tool to fill the gaps left by CAD and RMS systems. Today, despite law enforcement agencies’ use of RMS and CAD systems, critical communication gaps still exist. Only DHQ 5.0 closes these communication gaps, allowing for improved crime prevention and policing.
And so, the Digital HeadQuarters (DHQ) software application was born – developed BY officers FOR officers. The latest version of this technology, DHQ 5.0, uses cloud technology to provide easy access to this powerful communication app from any internet-connected device.
DHQ 5.0 provides an easy and secure way to communicate critical information within and between law enforcement agencies. This unique and highly secure technology provides resources deployed regionally with two-way information synchronized across multiple agencies.
Deployed at high performing law enforcement agencies throughout New England, DHQ 5.0 provides an example of what law enforcement communication CAN look like:
- DIGITAL Roll CALL – for all to see via their cell phone/iPad/laptop – with the ability for officers to easily update any roll call item and set an expiration date/time as needed
- Digital AREA WIDE ALERTS – Send out images, descriptions, and other details – updated and relayed to all officers in a specified area at the touch of a button
- Digital Crime Bulletins – Image-to-text scan and search capability. Easily and quickly search all unformatted text by keyword or phrase to return a list of related results.
- SafeWatch – Easy and fast way to locate at-risk individuals who have wandered away: children with autism; Alzheimer patients, etc. Pre-register these people with the local police dept, with photos, behavioral details, etc. All pre-registered information can be quickly uploaded to the DHQ 5.0 app so that if/when the person goes missing, the info can be immediately broadcast as an AWA electronically for all surrounding officers/agencies to see.
- Go Paperless – Training, Scheduling, Cruiser Checklist, Calendars, and more are now available in the Cloud via the DHQ 5.0 application. Update from anywhere. Set user permissions as needed. Streamlines, easy way to track everything.
The Future of Law Enforcement Communication is HERE: DHQ 5.0
With the new cloud-based communication app called Digital HeadQuarters (DHQ 5.0), your law enforcement agency can finally move into the 21st century by leveraging DHQ’s multi-department sharing capability.
“DHQ 5.0 allows officers to INSTANTLY, digitally (via their phone/iPad/laptop):
- Receive any Roll Call item or Area Wide Alert detail
- Create or update an Alert
- SHARE information, including photos taken with the DHQ app
This is revolutionary.
Finally, with DHQ 5.0, all stored crime bulletins, roll call and AWAs are searchable and can be retrieved on the fly from any internet-connected device like never before possible.“
– James Trombly, CEO, and Owner of Delphi Technology Solutions
For more information, please contact us at sales@policeDHQ.com or via phone: 978-683-4501.