Dekalb’s GPS In Patrol Cars Paying Off

The Dekalb County Sheriff’s Department is utilizing GPS Technology in over 20 of their vehicles.

The installation allows officials to monitor where the officers are within the county, allowing for better deployment. Sheriff Patrick Ray said the system has cut response time by more than half.

“We had a pursuit back a couple weeks ago of where the dispatch was able to keep up with the officer on that GPS tracking system when the officer had no radio communication,” Ray said. “We got some dead spots here in our county for radio transmissions where they can’t get out. They were able to tell the other units that were trying to respond to him where to go.”

The GPS program notifies dispatch if an unauthorized individual takes the vehicle, as well as log where officers have been throughout the day. He said anything that keeps officers and the public safe is worth the money to keep the GPS system going.

“Time is the number one thing in an emergency that we try to cut down on,” Ray said. “This way, that gave dispatch a tool that they can use up there to get someone that is needing help quickly.”

The system was also installed in the county’s litter guard trucks, SRO cars, and inmate transport vehicles.