Police black boxes
Post Falls Police Mechanic Richard Clark shows where software that will monitor information such as officer speeds, idling time, air bag deployment, mechanical issues and seatbelt use will be installed in four vehicles as a pilot project aimed at increasing safety and saving taxpayer dollars. (BRIAN WALKER/Press)
By BRIAN WALKER
Staff Writer
POST FALLS — It's an officer's driving scorecard.
The Post Falls City Council has given the police department approval to purchase and install new technology as a pilot project in four new vehicles. The gear will monitor idling time, vehicle speeds, seat belt use, maintenance needs, mechanical issues, braking patterns, air bag deployment and other information.
Assistant Chief Pat Knight believes the technology will ensure safer driving, decrease police crashes, improve fleet efficiency and save taxpayer dollars.
"This technology will send email notifications to officers, their supervisor (or anyone in the department that is designated)," Knight said.
Crashes are a top reason for line-of-duty deaths in the country, Knight said. In 2016, 53 officers were killed in traffic-related incidents. That accounted for nearly 40 percent of all line-of-duty deaths, a 10 percent increase from 2015, according to the National Law Officers Memorial Fund.
The software, called Telematics, costs $40 per month per vehicle, so the total monthly cost will be $160. The term of the contract with Telogis is 36 months.
Knight said he believes Post Falls is the first local law enforcement agency that will install the technology. It will be attached below the driver's dash and can be accessed in real time or through special reports.
Knight said he realizes some officers will have concerns about the technology.
"Some officers may tell you, 'You already know that I wear my seat belt,' but we have an obligation not only to protect our employees but the public," he said. "Some may also feel Big Brother is watching, but we should always feel that way because someone is always watching you in public safety. We always have to hold ourselves to a higher standard."
Knight said there are no major specific issues regarding current officer driving behavior, but the system will keep employees accountable and safer.
"If I'm an officer not wearing my seat belt and there's an email notification to my supervisor about it, it doesn't take too many meetings before I'm starting to wear it," he said. "We're not looking to get people in trouble. It's about decreasing liability, saving money and increasing the life expectancy of vehicles."
Contrary to popular belief, not every officer wears a seat belt all of the time, nor do they all drive the speed limit when they’re not responding to emergencies, Knight said.
"We hire from the human race like everybody else," he said. "We just want to make sure we comply with what we expect from the community."
To show that the technology isn't singling out specific employees, Knight said his vehicle will be one of the four that has the technology.
"I am one of them," he said.
Knight said it's possible the technology could mitigate liability issues and reduce the city's insurance rates on vehicles. Savings can also be realized on less idling time.
"We have to be frugal with taxpayer dollars," he said. "The fuel savings alone could offset the monthly costs."
The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office in Washington also outfitted its vehicles with the technology this year. Twice in recent months such efforts have earned that department national honors.
The technology piggybacks with a nationwide risk management program both Post Falls and Snohomish use called Below 100, which encourages officers to consider the risks for themselves and others when they’re driving a patrol vehicle.
Post Falls Chief Scot Haug is an instructor for the program, which aims to keep the line-of-duty officer deaths via crashes below 100.