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As technology has increasingly affected nearly every part of daily life, the Scranton Police Department has kept up, using tools to facilitate training, improve public safety and hasten communication.
(TNS) — Scranton police Officer Nicholas Philbin didn’t waste a second when he responded to assist with a suicidal woman with a knife in the parking lot of a Dickson City shopping center on a recent Saturday.
As he pulled out of the station, his vehicle functioned as a mini mobile unit. Dispatchers provided real time information. A computer system tracked updates. GPS tracked his route.
Philbin, a member of the department for eight years, said as technology evolves, so does police officers’ capacity to respond to incidents quickly and efficiently.
As Philbin maneuvered through traffic, he was aware of other departments on their way to the scene. The vehicle was equipped with technology that would beep if another patrol vehicle was about 30 seconds away.
Philbin’s body and vehicle cameras were active throughout the incident, which ended with the woman being taken to a hospital for mental health treatment.
After incidents, officers can write reports and complete other documentation from their vehicle laptop.
Philbin said technology keeps officers on patrol and helps them spend less time in the office writing reports. The vehicle was also equipped with a printer for citations, which were previously handwritten.
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