NCJ Number
194848
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 29 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2002 Pages: 46-48,50
Date Published
2002
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article examines the use of personal digital assistants in law enforcement.
Abstract
The personal digital assistant (PDA) or “handheld” allows police to access local, State, and Federal records databases; issue traffic and parking citations; map their locations and their cities’ crime patterns; and receive computer aided dispatch (CAD) information while away from their cruisers. The primary application of PDAs in law enforcement is to access records databases. For security reasons, many police departments do not allow data to reside on their handhelds. Agencies can buy third-party security software to encrypt their data, and most manufacturers build redundant security into their systems. Handhelds do have some “usability” problems. The small size of both the PDA and its stylus can be a problem for officers with large hands and handwriting recognition can be troublesome. Several officers expressed concern that concentrating on the PDA’s small screen was diverting their attention from their surroundings, suspects, or developing situations.