[Scan-DC] Charles County Sheriff’s Officers Complete E-TIX

[Alan Henney]

PRESS RELEASE
Charles County Sheriff’s Office
Media Relations Office


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date:      November 26, 2008
Contact: Diane Richardson
  Press Secretary


Charles County Sheriff’s Officers Complete E-TIX Training
Software Program Enhances Safety and Expedites Data Search

     The Charles County Sheriff’s Office recently completed training
officers on the use of E-TIX - a software program designed to expedite
data acquisition during traffic stops and eliminate much of the hand
written portion needed to issue a traffic warning or citation. Sheriff
Rex Coffey said using the program has many benefits including
increasing officer safety by reducing the amount of time they spend on
the side of the road writing a citation. “Advancements in technology
are important, especially in today’s law enforcement where obtaining
quick data can make a big difference in terms of safety and
efficiency,” said Coffey.

     The E-TIX system reads the barcodes on driver’s licenses and
registration cards. Once scanned, the software automatically checks
the person’s license status or vehicle registration and provides real
time data to the officer. Further, the program allows an officer to
type the person’s data on a computer screen thus eliminating the need
for an officer to write a citation on multiple forms. With the click
of a few buttons, a warning or citation can be printed and presented
to the violator who no longer needs to sign the form.

     The E-TIX program - designed and first used by the Maryland State
Police- has been installed in most of the Charles County Sheriff’s
Office patrol vehicles and is available to other components on the
agency who conduct traffic related assignments. The Sheriff’s Office
Management Information Section (MIS) and the Maryland State Police
began training officers in October and finished training all patrol
officers last week. In all, about 150 officers were trained on how to
use the software.

     For more information, visit the Charles County Sheriff’s Office
Web site at www.ccso.us.

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