PDAs for Patrol — Thank A Cop Initiative

The Tucson Police Foundation has launched a fundraising program to put useful technology in the hands of every patrol officer in the Tucson Police Department (TPD). The personal digital assistants (PDAs) currently being field tested for the project are the Palm Z22 (www.palm.com/us/products/handhelds/z22/).

To prepare for the field test, the TPD's Information Services Division checked out the devices for compatibility with the department's software applications and to make sure they could be synchronized with the calendar program in use. They also uploaded the contents of the patrol officers' basic reference book that contains Arizona Revised Statutes for use in writing citations, phone numbers for other public service agencies as well as the department's phone directory, known as the "Blue Book." The PDAs would serve as an electronic version of the Blue Book as well as a calendar for tracking court appointments to ensure a higher rate of convictions for citations.

The police officers who have been testing the handheld organizers have fully endorsed the utility of the devices and provided the following testimonials:

"It is a great tool; I use it for my court dockets, and can pull up State and Local laws when I need to look up something. It is a great replacement for the Blue Book [a pocket-sized reference guide issued to all patrol officers]. I think the average officer on the street would like to have one."

"It holds a charge well and can be updated by IT. I am using it for court schedules and appointments; it is easy to use and is better than the Blue Book. Most of the officers who are technically proficient will want one. I have had several officers ask about the PDA, wanting one."

The foundation plans to raise approximately $50,000 to purchase 500 Palm Z22 PDAs to make available to patrol officers wanting the added efficiency the PDAs afford. The project chair for this fundraising effort is Wayne Meyer, Presidio Group Wealth Management, one of the newest members of the foundation's board of directors. Please direct any questions to the foundation's office.

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