The notepads police use to write tickets may soon be obsolete.
The Sacramento Police Department is putting electronic ticket-writers in the hands of its patrol officers.
Officers can use the devices to write tickets or warnings. The units also scan drivers licenses, fingerprints and vehicle barcodes.
Curtis Gates is a motorcycle officer. He says the information is relayed every time an officer docks the device at the end of a shift.
"The citation device streamlines the process of getting the citation information from the police department to the courthouse and to our records division."
Gates says the data can also be accessed to help solve crimes.
"If a detective wants to know where that vehicle was, where that person was, that information is stored in our records, in order for detectives if they are doing follow up on a certain case."
Sac PD used a grant to pay $800,000 for 300 of the e-citation devices. The department is still training officers to use them.
The training includes a special emphasis on officer alertness while processing tickets or warnings.
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