To speed emergency response and better protect the city, the Toronto Police Service deployed Intergraph Public Safety’s mobile dispatch and vehicle tracking solutions. The solution enables police supervisors to monitor and track the location of field personnel
via the integrated computer-aided dispatch (CAD) map and automatic vehicle location (AVL) capabilities, which display the location of units and events. As soon as a field officer logs into the system, he or she is trackable. These new tracking capabilities enhance officer safety and optimise the dispatch of officers to events.
The mobile CAD map also enables officers to find specific locations easily. A language skills search function allows the police to quickly locate and contact officers with translation skills needed for a particular situation – a useful feature in a melting pot of a city. All this can be done from the officer’s patrol car, saving time and streamlining the process.
The Toronto Police can also cordon off areas due to emergency events, natural disasters, criminal investigations, or city-sponsored activities. Responding to a breaking and entering offense currently in progress, supervisors used the mobile CAD map to set up perimeters and position police cars to block and impede the progress of the perpetrator.
The Toronto Police Service chose Intergraph for the first time in 1991, largely due to its map-based and graphical interfaces that were unique at the time. The organisation implemented its first CAD system in 1994, migrating from a home-grown system. Much of the functionality in today’s dispatching application had its roots in the operational requirements and technological challenges of those early years.
The current mobile solution was configured to fit Toronto Police Service’s specific needs. The rollout included installing mobile workstations in 500 vehicles and training 1800 officers.