New technology keeps HPD officers on streets longer

Hendersonville police officers will add another tool to their crime fighting belts when a new mobile Computer Aided Dispatch system goes live Tuesday.

Patrol officers will be able to access information normally transmitted by police radio from dispatch — or 911 operators — through laptop computers, according to Lt. Paul Harbsmeier, who is overseeing the new technology.

Not only will officers be able to see on a computer screen the location of calls they are dispatched to, but they’ll be able to see where other officers are as well. Harbsmeier said the new technology will more quickly help in determining which officer is closest to a needed area.

“We’ll be able to provide information more effectively and efficiently,” said the police lieutenant.

Officers will also be able to check license plate numbers and obtain driver’s license information without having to tie up a dispatcher, Harbsmeier added.

“We can alleviate some of that load off dispatch and make their job more efficient,” he said. “It will also cut down on the amount of traffic going back and forth over the radio.”

Better communication tool

Gallatin police have been using the same software for a couple of years, according to Sgt. Jeff Wright.

He said other departments in Sumner County are converting to the same records management software. The conversion will improve communication between law enforcement agencies, he said.

“We’ve always communicated well with Hendersonville,” Wright said. “This will just enable officers to reach everyone who is working a shift instantly — like an instant message.”

Wright said the communication could save just minutes, but when someone is driving impaired on Vietnam Veterans Boulevard, minutes could translate into lives.

Hendersonville officers received classroom training on the new system two weeks ago. Police will start rolling out the new technology Tuesday in around 20 police cars — and eventually outfit all 80 or so patrol cars by mid-June.

The new technology will cost the department around $230,000 and is included in the current fiscal year’s budget.

The move is just the first phase of equipping officers with the tools they need to stay on patrol longer, Harbsmeier said. In the fall officers will go to a field-based reporting system where they will be able to submit their police reports electronically.

“It’s a big, big benefit for the citizens to allow us to be out in the field,” Harbsmeier said. “It allows us to continue to reduce crime.”

Reach Tena Lee at 615-575-7116 or on Twitter @tenalee1.