Howe Police Department can now access info in patrol cars
By Mary Jane Farmer
Herald Democrat
HOWE - It took a community to make it work, but Howe Police Department now has computers in all its patrol cars.
After several incidents that posed significant danger to officers and others, Chief Roy Keesy the department opted to find a way to get the in-car computers. Sgt. Kenny Price then began looking at financial alternatives.
In-car computers allow officers a chance to check license plates, people, and even weapons or other suspicious or dangerous items, through databases of criminal activity. Generally, this is done by dispatchers, who relay the results to officers out in the field. Howe joins other local agencies, such as Van Alstyne, Denison and Sherman police departments and the Texas Highway Patrol, in using the in-car technology. It also helps local agencies because local arrest warrants don't show up in those databases.
U.S. Highway 75 has more north-south traffic on it than Interstate 35 to the west, Texas Department of Transportation officials said. Howe, and the other departments which have in-car computers, all monitor traffic on U.S. 75. Keesy said during routine traffic stops, the violators had the advantage over the officer, who had no way of checking for city warrants while detaining the drivers. Local warrants were only discovered when the officers returned to the station to file their reports.
Keesy said Price's search for good technology led them to believe that only the Panasonic "Toughbook" computer would withstand the "challenges of being bounced around the inside of a police car." However, the costs of those laptops and associated services seemed prohibitive and weren't in the budgets.
Keesy said the department began to solicit Howe businesses and several agreed to help.
After receiving the initial cost estimates, Officer Errin Luton began to search the Internet in an attempt to locate some of these computers at a reduced cost. In his search, he was able to find a company in Canada that offered refurbished computers for less than the standard $4,500 price tag for each new computer. The Department contacted this company and they agreed to a price of $1,500 for three laptops, a savings of $12,000 for the city. However, the Department still needed $6,200 to make the entire plan work. Raising that amount fell on Price's shoulders, while Keesy began contacting a company to network the office computers with those in the car.
It all took about 45 days to complete and the working computers were purchased with minimal expense to the taxpayers.
Keesy handed out plaques commemorating all those who helped Tuesday morning. "Their overwhelming support and generosity reflects the strong trust instilled in this Department and is greatly appreciated by every member of the Howe Police Department.
"Together, we are making Howe a safer place to live, work, or operate a business, as well as working together to keep this important agency one step ahead of the growth that is coming to this area," Keesy said.
