September 23, 2021 |
For the second straight meeting, Saratoga Town Council tabled a request from the police department to purchase an in-vehicle computerized system for issuing tickets. The only sticking point appears to be how to pay for it.
The topic of purchasing the e-ticket system was first brought up at the September 7th meeting. Sergeant Tyler Christen discussed the benefits and costs, as well as a pending mandate from the state.
Officer Christen noted that the Carbon County Sheriff’s is making the transition to the e-ticket system in the near future. Law enforcement agencies across the country are ditching the traditional paper tickets officers write for the computerized system because of improved safety and productivity. Sergeant Christen told council writing a traditional paper ticket requires the officer to take his eyes off a violator and look down while writing. The computerized system allows an officer to stay more engaged in a situation that could escalate and become dangerous quickly.
Like any computer system, the software speeds up monotonous tasks, like filling out forms. For instance, the e-ticket auto-fills suspect information from a driver’s license or registration. Christen said studies have shown the e-ticket reduces the time to write a ticket by half, allowing officers to spend more time patrolling and making positive contact with the public. The system also eliminates the need for a second person—in the case of Saratoga, the assistant clerk — to input the information from the paper ticket into a computer.
Brenda Mistelske is the town’s assistant clerk. A big part of her job is duplicating the information officers on the street fill out on paper tickets. Mistelske inputs the data into a computer, which is then filed with the court system. Mitelske agreed that the task is time consuming. Christen said the e-ticket system would eliminate that step in the process because the in-car police terminals and software are connected to court system computers.
While the benefits of purchasing the system are obvious to all, how to pay for it remains the big question. The police department indicated that the total up-front cost for the software and hardware at about $28,000. Data fees for the department’s four vehicles and maintenance/upgrade fees would run about $3,500 a year, according to the information provided at the council meeting. Neither the governing body nor police were certain that the cost of the system was included in the budget for this year. Mayor Creed James raised the question at the September 7th meeting.
Christen said the Spillman budget would be reduced to at least $80,000 and possibly as low as $50,000. Christen said some of the funding could come from impact assistance funding through the state. The sergeant also argued that the system would pay for itself through increased productivity on the force and at town hall. Council, however, does not know the town’s financial standing with certainty. Members are waiting on financial reports, which have been delayed because of past problems and the transition to a new treasurer.
Councilman Jon Nelson suggested the decision should be put off until the reports are available and Mayor Creed James agreed.
This is where the discussion ended at the council meeting September 7th. The topic came up again this week. The discussion remained stuck in the same spot — how to fund it and how much money is available. The new treasurer, Georgia Gayle, said that the financial records will be available in October. That’s when the discussion will likely come up for a vote.
Pictured above: File photo of Saratoga Town Hall/Police Department. Photo by Cali O’Hare/Bigfoot 99.
