Pinecrest police officers now receive roll call briefing information via a web-based application – an initiative that uses technology to better relate to the incoming workforce and increase efficiency.
Technology has touched most police procedures, but one that has not changed much in 40 years is the roll call briefing. Police Chief Samuel Ceballos, Jr. presented the virtual roll call idea to the Florida International University School of Computing and Information Sciences senior class. He proposed they develop the digital solution for their Capstone Project, and they accepted the challenge.
On Tuesday October 9 the Pinecrest Police Department and Florida International University (FIU) were recipients of the 2018 International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)/Security Industry Association Michael Shanahan Leadership in Public/Private Cooperation Award.
“This new, no cost, web-based application ushers the roll call briefing into the 21st century,” said Chief Ceballos. “It also helps us adapt communications to the incoming workforce who have been receiving information digitally for most of their lives.”
IACP is the world’s largest and most influential professional association for police leaders, with more than 30,000 members. This award recognizes the Pinecrest Police Department and FIU’s outstanding achievements in the development and implementation of a cooperative public safety initiative. Chief Ceballos hopes to encourage other police chiefs to consider partnering with their local universities.
“Not only can chiefs develop innovative projects to enhance public safety, but they will involve these bright students in the noble cause of policing,” added Chief Ceballos.
Today, the virtual roll call briefing digital solution provides a seamless transition for police officers who typically would have to attend a 15-minute briefing at the beginning of a shift or miss it altogether due to scheduling conflicts such as court appearances.
Officers are able to patrol assigned zones faster, and can revisit briefing information that includes daily crime reports at the touch of a button. New policies can be disseminated quickly, and supervisors can confirm that every officer acknowledged, read, and understood the content of the document. In addition, the department can post officer safety alerts and Be On the Look Out (BOLO) information from surrounding agencies on the virtual roll call briefing website.
Also provided in the web-application is a dynamic watch order component. Watch orders are plotted on Google Maps and appear as pins. Officers click on the pins to obtain information about each residence and conduct patrols.
The Police Department first partnered with Florida International University in 2014, to develop a digital solution that dramatically improves interdepartmental information sharing. That project was a web-based BOLO flier solution for which Pinecrest Police received the Florida Police Chiefs Association Rocky Pomerance Award for innovation and excellence.
Florida International University, and in particular Professor Masoud Sadjadi, made a significant investment by assigning FIU computer science students to senior capstone projects each semester to move the Virtual Roll Call Briefing project from development to production. In the same manner as with the web-based BOLO flier web-application, which is now an initiative of the Miami-Dade County Association of Chiefs of Police.
Pinecrest Police department anticipates a continued relationship with FIU to support project improvement as has been the case since 2014.
