Toughbooks Aren't Just For Your Cruisers

Many cities and towns throughout the US (and the world) have both bike cops and motorcycle cops that assist with the patrolling and law enforcement of their area.  There is no reason that these officers should be any less equipped than their fellow officers who do their shift in a police cruiser.  They should still have the ability to run license plates, get information from dispatch, and run a license check.  Smaller models of Panasonic Toughbooks, such as the U1 or CF-19, make that a possibility with not much more than some simple mounting options.  Both are small enough and light enough that they do not put a strain on the bike or cause operation issues or difficulties for the driver.

Because motorcycle officers are generally used for traffic enforcement, it is important for them to be equipped with a mobile data terminal such as a Toughbook.  They deal with a large quantity of vehicles and persons, meaning that they have a high likelihood of coming into contact with a person who is wanted, driving on suspended privileges, or in a vehicle that falls within the guidelines to be impounded.  Not having a mobile data terminal significantly decreases their ability to check on these items.  Missing out on these various items can lead from something as simple as losing out on revenue for the city to inadvertently letting a wanted person continue to go free.

Check out how adding a Toughbook to motorcycles has affected the Tucson Police Department: