Travis County Sheriff's Office

Challenge:
The Travis County Sheriff’s Office in Austin, Texas had been using an older, text-based system that was command line driven, essentially just a CAD terminal that was installed in 1999. It provided basic messaging functionality, records checks and limited access to CAD information; however, the system was command line driven presenting a challenge as deputies had to remember the commands and proper sequence to receive the desired results. The system had to be constantly refreshed in order to view active calls and unit locations, and it did not provide quick access to prior incident history, hazmat information, or caution notes. The solution did not have any mapping capability and personnel had to rely solely on map books to locate incident addresses, nor did it have Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) functionality. In addition, there was no ability to share information with the Austin Police Department; consequently Sheriff personnel were unable to view BOLOS or any outstanding wants or warrants. Information during joint responses had to be relayed by phone either by the dispatchers or the communications supervisors, which posed challenges when coordinating response logistics.

Furthermore, officer safety was jeopardized by personnel unaware of the location of their fellow officers. If something occurred in the field that prohibited the deputy from using their radio, other Sheriff personnel had to drive the probable route to search for the unit. In the case of a vehicle pursuit, it was difficult to quickly and accurately coordinate the logistics to respond without knowing the location of all field personnel. Street supervisors had to use their radios to pinpoint deputies’ exact locations and then relay the information to other units.

Solution: TriTech’s VisiNet MobileTM
VisiNet Mobile provides the Travis County Sheriff’s Office with seamless integration to their TriTech Command and Control solution, and equips field personnel with unparalleled access to the information they need. Unlike the previous solution, which had to be manually refreshed to view the latest information, VisiNet Mobile continually shows incident details and unit locations as they occur. Additionally, access to public and proprietary databases via VisiNet’s robust message switch capabilities allow for ability to share information with Austin Police Department.

Officer safety also is enhanced as supervisors now know the location of their units. From an administrative perspective the decrease in response times, even seconds, can further enhance officer safety with the added benefit of increased safety for the public. The ability to manage calls while out in the field empowers Sheriff personnel to instantly view calls and assign themselves to the call based on who is the closest unit to the call. The ability for self management minimizes radio traffic and allows dispatchers to handle incoming calls, rather than spending time tracking down incident locations or other units.

Integrated mapping provides field personnel with immediate visual ability to view the incident location, and then determine their current location with respect to the incident. Through easy touch screen capability, the deputies can view the specific incident address and see the details or view multiple identified incidents within a specific area. Each incident is clearly color coded by incident status and is identified by a flag and incident number.

Full messaging functionality facilitates sending messages between deputies, dispatchers and administrative personnel. Personnel easily see when they have new messages with both a visual and audible alert. VisiNet Mobile also provides the ability to send a message to a specific individual or unit even though they may be off duty, and similar to email, the recipient then logs in to retrieve their message.

Submitting reports is no longer a tedious task for Sheriff personnel, as the reports can easily be attached to a message in the mobile application and then sent for review to the desktops of the appropriate personnel. This streamlines the review process and ensures that designated personnel receive the necessary reports in a timely manner.

VisiNet Mobile is a very effective resource management tool for the Travis County Sheriff supervisors. It enables them to more effectively manage personnel and resources to proactively respond to a call. In the case of an incident such as a vehicle pursuit, the location of the suspect vehicle is identified within seconds, a primary unit is assigned to the call, backup resources are alerted and EMS personnel are dispatched to handle any injuries that may ensue.

Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) further enhances officer safety. In years past, if an officer was involved in an accident while on duty and was not able to use the radio to communicate what had befallen him/her, other personnel had to drive the route to try and locate the unit. Now, with an easy push of the emergency button, dispatch confirms the location of the unit, broadcasts it to other field personnel and the location is then easily mapped directly from the emergency dialog. VisiNet Mobile will also provide deputies with turn-by-turn directions to the location of the deputy in need.

Mills knows that the system will continue to positively enhance performance and improve safety. "VisiNet Mobile has proven itself as a solution that empowers field personnel by putting the information they need at the tips of their fingers to better respond to calls, and to enhance their safety and that of the public.”

Client Benefits:

TriTech VisiNet Mobile delivers critical information in real-time to Travis County Sheriff personnel. With the seamless integration of VisiNet Mobile to CAD system field personnel are equipped with real-time incident details and enhanced mapping. The use of these technologies has resulted in enhanced officer safety through access to real-time incident information, records check and unit position and status. The use of the TriTech integrated CAD solution with VisiNet Mobile has significantly improved dispatch and response performance to deliver a reliable, leading edge solution that provides Sheriff personnel and Travis County residents with the confidence that emergency situations will be processed in the most accurate and expeditious manner possible.

Back to Top