How Computer Aided Dispatch Helps Law Enforcement

Technological advancements benefit law enforcement in several ways. For instance, computer aided dispatch (CAD) systems are a network of hardware and software programs that notify and monitor law enforcement unit’s resources in times of an emergency.

Modern policing isn’t complete with CAD. And in this article, we’re tackling how this innovation makes law enforcement more efficient and prompt.

The Functions of Computer Aided Dispatch

Before CAD systems emerged as we know them today, police units and emergency responders would rely only on a punch-card system to record their activities. Traditional phones were used to accommodate requests from the public.

Today, CADs are equipped with technologies such as an emergency communication systems for businesses to expedite employee safety and response times from law enforcement. Apart from keeping and managing records of law enforcement units, a well-equipped CAD can:

Pinpoint the location of the caller

Determine which in-field responders can be deployed

Track the status of the operation

Allow on-ground workers to report about their assignments

Which allows for an environment where dispatchers and higher-ranking officers can make critical decisions.

Better manage simultaneous dispatches

Reduce duplicate calls

Store and retrieve access to incident data

How It Benefits Law Enforcers and The Public

Across the world, law enforcement agencies leverage CAD to assist officers in making critical decisions while responding to calls for service.

CAD systems can help dispatchers route emergency vehicles to appropriate locations based on factors including location, time, weather conditions, road conditions, and the type of calls being responded to. This technology allows police departments to increase their efficiency and reduce the amount of time spent responding to calls for service while improving officer safety and public perception.

The advantage of modern CADs is that they’re interoperable and scalable. They can be paired with an existing radio dispatch console and two-way radio systems, making these communication tools’ functionality even more efficient.

If an agency or unit needs to expand its operations, it can seamlessly integrate new devices without incurring high scaling costs. If a mass notification system over IP networks is to be integrated, educating the workforce is also manageable and less disruptive.

While all these benefits enhance the services of law enforcers, they can also be used to communicate with other units in case they need to team up for inter-unit emergencies. This leads to lower crime rates in a wider geographic region.

CADs, however, don’t only help with a unit’s immediate needs. As mentioned, they help manage and store incident data. With this, they can be used to analyze data and determine crime trends. They can use such insights to improve their organizational planning and structure and maximize their resources.

On top of all this, users of CADs can rest assured that their data and operations remain protected against breaches and other security threats.

Today, computer-aided dispatching can be used by law enforcement units and other government agencies. These include fire services, EMS, marine and aviation units.

Alerting Your Employees When Crisis Hits

Emergencies are disruptive and stress-inducing. This is why learning how to handle emergencies and crises is paramount no matter the size of your organization — and no matter what product or service you’re offering. Part of a sound and effective crisis management plan is having a reliable emergency communication system for business.

These systems work by integrating a third-party solution into your existing communication strategy. In case of an emergency, your system will deliver messages to your employees via different channels (e.g. Email, text message, digital signage). Typically, it’s also equipped with filtering features to let you send emergency notifications to certain people only (for instance, you’d only need to alert your people who are located in a specific area).

The Benefits of Having an Emergency Communication System 

Proper communication is key for a business’ daily operations to be smooth and efficient. And the need for secure communication systems is punctuated in times of an emergency.

A severe weather disturbance is a good example of the types of incidences you may encounter. Perhaps there are shooters who are attacking one of the floors of your building? No matter how simple or complex or threatening a crisis may be, sending emergency alerts to the right people is extremely important as the crisis is occurring. Here’s how your business can benefit by having a have mass notification system.

Prompt and real-time communication. Time is of the essence when an emergency happens. Whether it’s a mass notification system for business parks or you need to notify emergency response teams, your communication strategy ensures that you’re acting in a timely manner. Quick action will help you keep your employees, customers, clients, and partners safer.

Appropriate recipients. Apart from sending quick alerts, your system should be designed to reach specific recipients. For instance, you may only need to notify specific individuals within your organization with operation details, while others get broader messaging. A customizable system guarantees a clarity of message and reduces any inefficiency while addressing an emergency.

Multi-channel delivery. As stated earlier, you can deliver emergency notifications through different channels. Those channels can be an email, an SMS text message, a voicemail, or even a visual alert. You can send these alerts to a laptop, desktop computer, or mobile device. And the great thing is, there are systems that accept inbound calling (a helpful feature if you want to confirm that the recipient has indeed received the alert).

Collaborative monitoring. Emergency communication systems aren’t just for sending out alerts. They’re also a web-based tool that allows all concerned people to share receipt confirmations and other relevant reports. This is advantageous when you need to confirm that key individuals have indeed received the message.

Easy archiving. This communication tool also proves to be useful beyond the time of the actual emergency itself. All the results of the emergency notifications can be easily collated into online reports, allowing any authorized personnel to review the activity and pull them out whenever necessary.

Flexibility and scalability. Secure mobile communication systems today uses encrypted VoIP and data encryption. Because they can be cost-effectively integrated into various kinds of devices, this system can be scaled up or down depending on your business’ current communication needs.