Coast Guard Upgrades Law Lenforcement Technology
The Coast Guard has launched a new tool that will make law enforcement boardings more efficient. The personal data assistant (PDA) is a high-tech tool that provides boarding team members the ability of paperless boardings, and creates a more efficient way to conduct law enforcement jobs in the Coast Guard.
The PDA is replacing the 4100 form that is mandated to be filled out by the boarding officer during and following a boarding. The PDA provides instant data flow to sector and district command centers after performing a boarding, and links directly with the Marine Information and Law Enforcement database.
Around the size of a palm pilot, the PDA is easy to use, lightweight, and fits inside a pocket. When doing an inspection, the boarding officer enters data about the vessel, such as model type and length, which produces a certain criteria checklist for that type of vessel on the PDA.
The device is battery-fueled, does not have a plug, and comes with a handheld printer that presents a receipt for the vessel owner upon concluding of the boarding.
The PDA, though, is not devised to withstand strong weather that boarding teams frequently encounter; in addition, bright sun glare can make it hard to read the screen.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from Military.com (05/08/06); Evanson, C.