The police department of Redlands, Calif., relies on varies technologies to maintain an advantage over criminals. This includes interactive Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for mapping crime incidents real time, said Kurt Smith, director of community analysis and technology for the Redlands Police Department (RPD). “We can evaluate current and past crime, down to the incident level, and combine data and compare it with census data,” he said.

Each officer also carries a Taser stun gun and a digital recorder to tape communications, and some personnel use BlackBerrys.

The department is currently the only one in the state to have launched a pilot program to test a parole GPS system. In collaboration with the state, parolees are monitored and mapped using GPS satellite technology. Redlands is also one of only three places in the nation to participate in COMPASS (Community Mapping Planning and Analysis for Safety Strategies), which is funded through federal grants.

The project lets various police departments swap crime and incident information, in addition to allowing the public to access maps at citizencompass.org and via public access Channel 3.

Furthermore, the department relies on a live video surveillance camera system to track activity across the city, hand-held tools called IPAQs for recording data from traffic stops and getting crime data, and the Go Notify system with which officers can send a recorded message to different parts of the region.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the San Bernardino County Sun (CA) (06/08/06); Bennett, Andrea .