Cutting-Edge Scheduling Help for Police
Charles County, MD, has implemented an Internet-based tool called CourtDates to enable police officers to understand and manage their court appearance schedules online.
CourtDates, which went live on May 1, 2007, works much like an online banking tool. Police officers use a password and user-name to log onto their schedules through any Internet portal to check in, see updates, and make changes.
Before CourtDates was implemented, officers received court notices through paper subpoenas, tracked their court dates on a calendar, and were responsible for tracking whether a court date had been moved or cancelled.
This Web-based system will make it “vastly more efficient,” says State’s Attorney Leonard C. Collins Jr. Soon, when police officers all have vehicle-based computers, they will be able to check each day for the week’s court appointments, says Collins.
Charles County IT director Richard A. Aldridge says it cost the county $12,500 to develop CourtDates. Nearby counties also will have access to this tool.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) from the Washington Post (04/22/07); P. SM1; Rucker, Philip.
