Every time a police officer stops a speeding driver, he or she writes a ticket by hand, filling out the driver?s license number, name and address, and make of the car.
If the driver also is not wearing his or her seat belt, that?s another ticket to write, and later the violations are entered into a computer by a court clerk.
“It?s a waste of time and effort, [and] there?s plenty of opportunity to make an error,” said Capt. Glenn Hansen, commander of Howard police?s information and technology management bureau.
But Howard police said they have a better solution.
Under the e-citations initiative, police officers will use a scanner much like those in the grocery store isle to scan a driver?s license and registration into a laptop computer in the cruiser.
The officer selects the violations, sends the information directly to District Court and prints a copy of the citation forthe driver. Officers also can automatically check for warrants.
Mistakes and the time spent on the side of the road will be greatly reduced, Hansen said.
About 10 percent of all citations courts receive each year have errors from poor handwriting or misspellings, according to a 2003 study by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Bureau of Justice Assistance.
“Electronic citation technology has the ability to eliminate most, if not all, of these types of errors,” the report states.
Following a 2007 General Assembly decision that authorized police to issue electronic tickets, 11 police agencies in Maryland are developing programs, and New Carrollton in Prince George?s County was the first department to issue e-citations, said Darrell Pressley, spokesman for the District Court of Maryland, which certifies the programs.
State police launched a similar pilot project in August to test electronic tickets issued by 20 troopers from the Bel Air, Golden Ring and Westminster barracks, and police are finalizing the e-citation system.
Howard police received a $48,838 grant from the Governor?s Office on Crime Control and Prevention, which covers equipment in 54 police vehicles, Hansen said.
The project, to be completed in March 2009, will cost $700,000 to have 166 vehicles equipped, he said.
