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~ 6tiß Name: SAN MARCOS POLICE DEPARTMENT ORI: TX 1050100 Section n - Part B Item # 2 - Computer Aided Dispatch System Demonstration of Time Savings The San Marcos Police Department has 65 sworn law enforcement officers. Currently, all dispatching and crime data recording is being done by hand. SMPD will use the requested computer aided dispatch system to dispatch 20 patrol cars, two narcotics cars; seven detective cars, and one detective sergeant's car. The CAD system will be used to automate the recording of crime history and related information. The Department is being driven by the radio with little call priority protocol in place. The computer aided dispatch system will permit the SMPD to be a proactive force instead of a reactive force within the community. Currently, there is no method of prioritizing calls. For example, brnglary calls are given the same priority that nuisance calls get. While injury or in progress calls do get immediate response, all the others are put into the queue for response as time allows. The current method of dispatching is based on districts ()r areas not crime frequency or patterns. Consequently, manpower allocqtions and officer efficiency are greatly reduced. The addition of a CAD system will track crime patterns in terms of the nature of the crime, location, and ITequency. Officer patrol areas will be dictated by crime history and hard data, not by geography and intuition alone. The establishment of crime histories will also allow officers to access the CAD data base for suspect and past crime information without having to rely on personal visits, phone calls or other time consuming research methods. The CAD system will permit better officer tracking. This will result in better officer efficiency and productivity. Based on information from other agencies and in house analysis, the requested computer aided dispatch system is projected to save the 30 officers in the field a minimum of one hour each day. This time saving is directly related to better officer allocation and better officer efficiency. The time saving is also tied to better targeted patrol areas. Additionally time will be saved by reducing the amount of time officers need to research crime histories for suspect and crime information. The one horn a day for 30 officers equals approximately 6.00 FTE's (full time equivalents) over the cornse of one year, using a standard of 1824 hours for an FTE. 2