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The Law Enforcement Take: Spring 2020
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 The Law Enforcement Take from Harry Markley
Using mobile devices to improve patrol work
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Smartphones and tablets can make patrol work more efficient, intuitive, and safer. Police departments across the country are issuing mobile devices to sworn officers, and we’ve heard from many of these departments about the benefits of connecting mobile devices with FirstNet.
How police departments are using mobile devices
FirstNet has created a marketplace for public safety apps and devices. While first responders can use any commercial app, the FirstNet App catalog offers apps that go through a rigorous testing process for security and efficacy. Similarly, the list of certified devices for use on FirstNet must meet mission critical standards and support Band 14, the spectrum used for FirstNet.
Police departments are using these public safety devices, apps, and other technology solutions to improve policing.
- Portland (OR) Police Bureau issued smart phones to officers and installed apps with mobile capabilities for e-citations, community engagement, access to Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) through multi-factor authentication, and Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) integration.
- Chicago Police Department connected their mobile devices to in-vehicle docking stations to be able to use the devices both in and out of the patrol car. This gives officers the flexibility to receive dispatch assignments, run name and vehicle checks, view security cameras and mapping data, and begin incident reports—whether they are in vehicle or on scene.
- Riviera Beach (FL) Police Department officers use their smartphones to access city camera footage, take and submit pictures of crime scenes, and record sworn statements. With FirstNet, these functionalities are always available to officers, during emergencies or disaster response.
Riviera Beach Police Chief Michael Madden has seen the benefit of mobile technologies. “In conjunction with our recent body camera deployment, we issued each of our police officers a smartphone on FirstNet, causing a major shift in the way we collect and share information imperative to our mission,” he said. “It bridges many gaps on the technology forefront and drastically improves communications between first responders and with our community at large.”
Your experience
I want to hear from you about your agency’s experience with mobile devices or with current events. At the FirstNet Authority, we are here to help you, now more than ever. If you have questions about FirstNet or I can connect you with any resources, information, or tools, you can reach me at Harry.Markley@FirstNet.gov.
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 Patient safety has never been more important, and FirstNet is helping first responders and medical providers stay connected and focused on improving patient care.
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 FirstNet Authority in the news: we just marked three years of groundbreaking public-private partnership with AT&T, Ed Parkinson was named the new CEO, and FirstNet Push-to-Talk was released as the nation’s first mission-critical push-to-talk solution.
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 Public safety agencies are using FirstNet to conduct exercises such as counteracting a cyberattack with a deployable or simulating an aircraft accident with mass casualties, and to respond to local, regional, and national emergencies as a rural EMS provider.
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 The FirstNet Authority continues to drive innovation, with support for NIST PSCR’s CHARIoT challenge, which calls on innovators to design augmented reality or develop smart city data streams, and the Tech-to-Protect Challenge, which is announcing up to $2.2 million in prizes to winners on May 1.
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Tech, Innovations, and Hot Topics in Law Enforcement
Read what we’ve been hearing from public safety in the field about trends and drivers for law enforcement and emergency communications.*
The Cincinnati Police Department deployed body cameras with live-streaming video. Similar to smart speakers, the devices listen and automatically turn on when guns are drawn or emergency lights are activated. For privacy concerns, the cameras do not have facial-recognition capability. The livestreamed video, powered by LTE, gives dispatchers and commanders real-time insight to a crisis situation to assist on-scene officers.
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The FirstNet Authority recently spoke with members of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, who are using FirstNet on their cell phones and their mobile data computers, to hear their feedback about the network buildout and learn more about their operational needs as they protect a community of 600,000 people spread out in mostly rural areas.
Watch the video on YouTube |
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Harry Markley is a Senior Public Safety Advisor and the First Responder Network Authority Law Enforcement Subject Matter Expert. Learn more about Harry or email him with your questions. |
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Top photo: Public safety in Miami, such as Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue, coordinated with FirstNet to keep fans and residents safe during the Super Bowl.
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*FirstNet Authority may provide hyperlinks for third-party, non-governmental websites in order to offer additional context and added value for our users. FirstNet Authority does not endorse any product or service and is not responsible, nor can it guarantee the validity or timeliness of the content on hyperlinks outside of the federal government. In addition, users may wish to review privacy notices on non-government sites since their information collection practices may differ from ours.
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