WHITEPAPER
At the Intersection of Situational Awareness & Technology
INTRODUCTION
From wearables to mobiles, at the dinner table to movie
theaters, technology can be found just about everywhere we
turn; including the patrol car.
Technology
&
Situational
Awareness
Many technologies are built with the goal of enhancing safety,
increasing efficiency, or generally improving police-work; when
paired with a situational awareness mindset, these tools can
become force multipliers for savvy users.
When public safety professionals frequently find themselves at
the intersection of dangerous locations, high-risk scenarios, civil
disturbance, and known/unknown life-safety hazards, the equation becomes much more complicated for the officer involved
and the general public.
One location, in particular, that can result in dangerous scenarios
also happens to be where a large percentage of law
enforcement professionals spend a good deal of time.
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WHITEPAPER
AT THE INTERSECTION OF
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS & TECHNOLOGY
THE PATROL CAR
The law enforcement patrol car has evolved dramatically from its humble beginnings. The “modern” patrol car is now an incident response
vehicle, mobile office, community relations vessel, and when filled with
technology tools, looks like the inside of a cockpit; all aimed at improving officers’ performance as well as their safety. Though these advancements have positively impacted the patrol officer’s day-to-day work,
the potential distractions are not always obvious.
Some distractions from technology tools found in the typical patrol car
include:
¤¤ Computer screens & MDTs (Mobile Data Terminals)
¤¤ LPR (license plate recognition) devices
¤¤ Mobile phones & tablets (work and personal)
¤¤ Audible/visual warning devices
¤¤ Consoles, controls & in-vehicle mounts
¤¤ Driver’s license scanners
¤¤ Radios & other messaging platforms
¤¤ Printers
¤¤ Dash cams
¤¤ Body cams
Though many technology platforms are shrinking in physical size, the
data and number of devices provided at your fingertips are crowding
the patrol car. It is the duty of the officer to ensure safe operation of
the in-vehicle technology, by following manufacturer recommendations and complying with protocols and/or training.
“ The trend over the years has been
that each time a fleet is refreshed the
new cars are physically smaller inside.
More technology in the cars results in
less room for the Officer. ”
- RAD DeRose
President/CEO
L-Tron
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AT THE INTERSECTION OF
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS & TECHNOLOGY
CHECK YOUR 360
How can the law enforcement community better equip their personnel to
manage the complex technological landscape that is the 21st Century police
service?
Through a tiered approach that includes pre-emptive training, progressive
policy, strategic technology solutions, and technology-minded work practice
controls , officers can be better-prepared to handle technology while on the
street without jeopardizing their situational awareness.
Below are just a few recommended actions to take to help ensure your officer’s
safety with technology solutions:
Start with a strong vision of personnel safety.
Strive to understand what distracted patrol looks and feels like in a
technology filled work environment.
Educate early and often.
Include all stakeholders to develop technology focused policies &
procedures.
Implement technology testing, training & exercises (TT&E).
For example test your technology on the street; to learn how to avoid
distracted patrol.
*Officer Safety Tip: “Scanning a
driver’s license at a traffic stop?
Hold the scanner above the
steering wheel so you can
stay aware of your surroundings,
increasing officer safety.”
Regularly evaluate technology-focused policies & procedures for
situational awareness impacts.
Maintain ongoing technology assessments for safety as well as benefits that can enhance safety.
Modify and adopt training to include technology implications,
both on patrol and in other environments.
“ I don’t @#$% around on
the internet in the dark.
I’m not trying to get jumped
or anything.”
- NY Officer
Encourage accountability – both top-down & peer-to-peer.
Situational awareness doesn’t happen by accident; encourage others
in your department to maintain a situational awareness mindset to
minimize distracted patrol.
Choose your technology partners wisely. For more information on choosing
the right partner for your department, check out this blog:
‘A Little Help From Our Friends’.
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AT THE INTERSECTION OF
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS & TECHNOLOGY
CHECK YOUR 360 cont’d...
Implement Technology
Testing, Training & Exercises
(TT&E)
Develop Technology-focused
Policies/Procedures
Improved
Situational
Awareness
Maintain Ongoing Assessment
of Technology/Safety
Encourage Accountability
Top Down and Peer to Peer
TAKE-AWAYS
Technology can be used to enhance situational awareness (such as those that use
data mining, passive or active scanning, and/or other practices), and when used
correctly, can improve safety for an officer while on patrol.
Take stock of and take action to educate and train your departments on how to
best use technology solutions to improve situational awareness, safety first:
¤¤ How do you stay on guard to prevent distracted patrol?
¤¤ What are the impacts of in-vehicle technology; the pros and the cons for patrol officers and the community at large?
It takes a strong commitment, consistent messaging, and active modeling from
leadership, supervisors, and peers.
The next time you start up your patrol unit’s engine, ask yourself: where are you
at the intersection of situational awareness and technology in the 21st century?
Authored by: Chris Tarantino Public Safety Communications Consultant
Chris works closely with L-Tron Corporation as their Public Safety Communications Consultant, training and subject matter expert. Mr. Tarantino
has ten years’ experience in the public safety arena and serves as a Subject Matter Expert/Instructor for the National Disaster Preparedness
Training Center; a Digital Communications Specialist for FEMA; Vice-Chair of the International Association of Emergency Managers’ Emerging
Technology Caucus; part of the Command Staff in the New York State Incident Management Team; and maintains volunteer roles at the local/
county level with organizations such as the Monroe County Special Operations Unit.
Upcoming Webinar
Be on the lookout for an
upcoming webinar:
‘Distracted Patrol:
Managing the 21st Century
Technology Tightrope’
September 30, 2015
1:00PM EDT on
Officer.com
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