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Cell-phone capability captures police attention
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - January 15, 2009)
Cell-phone capability captures police attention
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
What do an abducted child, a lost hunter and a car crash have in common?
They were all calls handled by the Geauga County Sheriff's Department that were made a little easier by technology that most people possess.
The cellular telephone has revolutionized law enforcement, as it has everyone's life, Sheriff Daniel C. McClelland said. "The popularity and capability of cell phones have changed communication for everyone."
He said the cell phone allows the public to report an accident or a crime almost immediately, giving law enforcement a leg up on responding, Mr. McClelland said.
And, while the radio remains the main means of communication for police, Mr. McClelland said, cell phones have become another way for police to communicate between each other.
The department, he said, issues 25 cell phones to department personnel to aid in communication. When radios might not be available, such as when an officer is in his personal vehicle, the cell phone still allows for communication that may result in faster response.
Radios can be limited in their range, he said, so cell phones fill in when officers travel outside their range.
Text messaging also plays a role, Mr. McClelland said, in providing enhanced communication among law-enforcement officials. They are used to keep personnel in touch with the latest weather information.
In addition, he said, cell phones are now capable of transmitting pictures, which have played a role in law enforcement.
Statewide emergency response depends on the cell phone for various departments to communicate as well.
He said the department invites residents to call whenever they witness a crash or see something suspicious.
A few years ago, he said, an alert motorist was able to communicate to the department when he saw something unusual. The motorist, Mr. McClelland said, reported seeing a vehicle that was driving erratically. The motorist also noted that they saw a child, unrestrained and standing in the vehicle.
Mr. McClelland said that call alerted police to a child abduction that had taken place in Ashtabula. That call allowed police to apprehend the abductor by the time the vehicle reached Burton, he said.
"We need the help of our residents if we're going to keep our communities safe," he said.
On another occasion, he said, a hunter called to report that he had become lost. Mr. McClelland said the phone allowed police to pinpoint his location to within about 50 feet, making his rescue much faster.
"Before you would have waited until grandpa didn't come home," Mr. McClelland said. "Then it becomes where do you begin to look."
He said a similar incident aided an ailing truck driver. He said the department received a call from a trucking company that couldn't locate one of its drivers. Using the locating technology, he said, police were able to locate the driver in Pennsylvania, who was suffering from health problems. In that case, Mr. McClelland said, police were able to get him the help he needed much faster.
He said the device has also allowed officers to communicate to each other no matter where they are. In the past, he said, he would be tied to his desk.
Lt. John Hiscox, of the sheriffs department, said cell phones have definitely made police busier as calls can be made more readily than waiting to find a land line.
"It's made us more proactive than reactive," he said.
In the past, Mr. Hiscox said, most calls came in after the fact. Now, he said, police can respond to situations that may bring help faster or even prevent an injury.
One of the more common calls, Mr. Hiscox said, is for an impaired driver. While the department has been able to stop an impaired driver because of those calls, the majority are for drivers who may not be impaired, just distracted. People eating, adjusting the radio, tending to children, putting on makeup, using a cell phone, or teens just playing around can account for a number of those calls, he said.
While the department does invite calls from the public, they do offer a word of caution.
Mr. McClelland said motorists need to first and foremost be attentive to their driving. If they need to make that call, police advise that the driver first pull over.
He said trying to operate a motor vehicle while texting is dangerous and should be avoided.
He said hand-free devices make the calls much safer during driving.
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