The sirens and flashing lights looming larger in the rearview mirror get even closer. Uh-oh.
Being pulled over for a traffic violation can instill panic in even the most stalwart motorist, but state police are not enamored of the procedure, either, because the stops can expose them to danger.
So it is not surprising that the advent of electronic citations comes as welcome news – especially to the gendarmes.
“The system cuts in half the amount of time a trooper needs to issue a citation, allowing the officer to get back on the road more quickly to resume patrol duties,” Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Frank E. Pawlowski said yesterday in a news release.
“In addition, troopers no longer have to spend time transporting the citations to the local magisterial district judge; the citation information is transmitted electronically.”
The new software will enhance the computer setup already being used in state police cruisers, police said. For example, driver’s license and registration numbers are routinely checked against state and national databases. Information from those databases, such as outstanding warrants, can now be inserted into a prospective ticket.
The electronic citations – replacing handwritten, carbon copies with legible, legal-size forms – are part of the Pennsylvania State Police Traffic and Criminal Software project, which previously enabled police to send crash reports directly to the state Department of Transportation, state police said.
Pawlowski estimated that the typical 15 minutes needed to issue a citation would be reduced substantially.
By Kathleen Brady Shea
Inquirer Staff Writer
