APD technology: then, now and what's to come

AUSTIN - We all use technology every day to make our lives easier and keep us connected. Police officers are no different, except for them it also makes the job safer and more efficient.

Inside the Real Time Crime Center, Austin Police monitor streams from cameras around the city.

Austin police are adding technology to make them safer and more efficient. KVUE

"They're able to say 'hey, we see the suspect, he's running this way, he's running that way," explained Sgt. Stephen Fleming.

Sgt. Fleming has been with APD more than 17 years and remembers a much simpler time.

"You look back with a little bit of nostalgia," he laughed.

Back then they wrote reports from memory with no cameras to back anything up.

"Everything else was pad and paper, pen writing down notes," he said.

Sgt. Fleming says upgrades as simple as cameras and electronic ticket writers save them hours of time and make sure they get it right.

"They can scan the drivers license at the bottom of the device," he demonstrated on the reader.

Another new tool for officers is Starchase.

"This device has a battery and a GPS unit in it," he said.

It's launched from the front of the patrol car and sticks to a suspect's vehicle. Since installing Starchase nearly two years ago, it's been used 29 times and 16 of those hit their target

"This is a tool that we're using to try and limit some of the pursuits that we get involved in that do not involve violent crimes," he said.

But arguably the most used and most valuable technology are the cameras.

The officers already have cameras inside their vehicles and they're looking into getting cameras on the officers themselves. APD has tested body cameras before but didn't feel the technology was quite right. Now they're being considered again.

They're also testing License Plate Readers.

"It's got a couple different camera lenses on it plus lights in the center," he described.

Right now officers are sent a list of vehicles to keep an eye out for on their shifts.

"Looking for wanted vehicles, missing persons, suspects in other crimes."

The LPR technology would do it for them.

"It can scan hundreds of cars a minute."

Sgt. Fleming said his team is always looking for the next best thing to keep the officers and the community safe.

"They technology industry is changing so rapidly."

Some of the technology can cost tens of thousands of dollars and may require annual maintenance and upgrades. That's why they take time demoing everything before it's presented to City Council for Approval.