Project receives 2004 Engineering
Excellence Award
for innovative use of technology
Elizabethtown, North Carolina is located in Bladen County in the
southeastern part of North Carolina. The population of Elizabethtown is
approximately 3,700. Elizabethtown was awarded a grant written by Hobbs,
Upchurch & Associates that was used to provide GPS-compatible laptops with
custom-written software for the police department. The firm also wrote the
custom GIS/police information software interface that will be useful to the
police department and town administration and give citizens easy access to
public information.
Four key elements of the project were:
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Custom software interface builds on the current Elizabethtown GIS database and
current PISTOL police software.
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Laptop computers permanently mounted in police cars allow officers to access
real-time crime data.
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Police detectives can now use GIS data integrated with crime data to produce
trend maps, solve crimes, produce information needed to acquire search
warrants, and compile evidence for court proceedings.
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Citizens have access to appropriate crime data, tax information, and municipal
services information from personal computers or from terminals in the town
hall.
Custom Software Builds on the Current
GIS Database
Elizabethtown had a working GIS database but access to the information
was limited to the planning department. The custom software interface written
by Hobbs, Upchurch & Associates built upon the current GIS base and expanded
its functions so that the information could be useful to the municipal
government, the police department, and Elizabethtown citizens.
GIS Information and Specialized Criminal
Information Software Linked
The police department in Elizabethtown uses PISTOL software to store
crime information. PISTOL software is specialized crime-oriented software that
stores information on perpetrators, crime scenes, photos, etc. This PISTOL
information could not be accessed from the field. In the past, Elizabethtown
police patrols would call a dispatcher at police headquarters to retrieve the
PISTOL crime information. This process was cumbersome and time consuming. The
fee for installing capability which could be used to access PISTOL information
from the field had been estimated at $2500 per vehicle per year. That option
was financially out of reach for Elizabethtown. The software written by Hobbs,
Upchurch & Associates turned the yearly fee into a one-time expenditure funded
as part of a grant. 
Laptop Computers Mounted in Police
Vehicles
Laptop computers purchased as a result of the HUA-authored grant are
permanently mounted in police vehicles. The computer is auto-synchronized back
to the main server via a wireless network connection. Any new data captured in
the field is transported to the server and updates/additions on the server are
automatically updated to the police vehicle.
GIS base maps in the computer contain aerial photographs, parcels, centerlines,
and criminal activity locations. The aerial photographs within the computer
cover the entire town. When a crime occurs, these aerial photos give police a
clear view of possible escape routes, hiding places, and other areas not
visible from road right-of-ways.
The GPS capability within the computer provides a track-log for the officer's
activities which is admissible in court. In addition, officer safety is
improved because officers know if previous criminal activity has occurred on a
property or if a perpetrator of past crimes is a current resident of said
property.
The system provides better protection for citizens because property and
business owners can be contacted more quickly during a crime event if
necessary.
The town has also been able to use the GPS tracking within the laptops to
analyze patrolling routes for increased efficiency. This will save money for
Elizabethtown taxpayers and provide better police protection for everyone.
 Detectives
Benefit from GIS Information Linked to Criminal Data
Detectives in the Elizabethtown police department are using GIS
generated maps plotted with PISTOL crime data to build trend maps which are
used for proactive patrolling and investigation. Detectives are also using GIS
information combined with crime data as a basis for generating search warrants.
In addition, detectives are also able to produce evidence displays using the
system which are admissible in court and can help get convictions for crimes.
The purchase of the laptops and the interface between software programs has
enhanced detective crime-solving productivity.  Citizens
have Access to Data
Due to the new updated system, the citizens of Elizabethtown have access
to planning, zoning, and tax information as well as information on municipal
services. The public can access the information on personal computers or at
terminals in the town hall.
The public also has access to selected information on crimes within an area. If
someone is buying a home in a neighborhood, information on the number and types
of crimes that may have been committed in that neighborhood may be accessed on
the system.
Public access to selected information will decrease the workload for municipal
employees, save money, and make information for citizens easily available.
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