HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015 04-29 Maplewood police use new technology to expand footprint, collect visual records MAPLEWOOD REVIEW2/10/2016 Maplewood police use new technology to expand footprint, collect visual records I Lillie Suburban Newspapers - LillieNews.com
Maplewood police use new technology to
expand footprint, collect visual records
By: Erin Hinrichs Submitted by adminl on Wed, 04/29/2015 - 12:00am
Maplewood I 'olice Chief Paul Schnell
models one of the e partme nt s four Deady
cameras, 1. ince July 2014, three officers
have been piloting the cameras, s, re cor inn
their shifts in their entirety- (I::::rin I...linrich /
Review)
Maplewood woo I Ire; Chief Steve I...ukin explains
how the new 1.;aaarput r..Aid Dispatch
systern includes GPS mapping and a log
tracking the whereabouts of all EMS and tire;
personnel on call, (I rin I linrichslReview)
Atthe April 13 Maplewood City Council workshop, Police Chief Paul Schnell called attention to a number of significant
advances in police technology over the years — including the invention of the breathalyzer, the transition from revolvers to
semi-automatic handguns to rifles, and the precision of DNA testing that's being used to identify not only murder suspects, but
thieves as well.
At the beginning of 2014, the department outfitted each officer with an iPhone. This upgrade replaced the need for voicemail
boxes at the office and ensured they all had video, photo and audio capabilities on hand at all times. Using apps like
iCrimeFighter, all of the evidence officers and detectives collect automatically uploads to the department's system for safe
keeping.
"It opened up what we could do out in the field with the officers," Schnell told council members.
http://www. bul I eti n-news.com/articles/2015/04/29/m aplewood-pol i ce- use- new-technol ogy- expand-footpr i nt-col Iect-vi sual -records 1/4
2/10/2016 Maplewood police use new technology to expand footprint, collect visual records I Lillie Suburban Newspapers - LillieNews.com
With recent advancements in police technology, Maplewood police have welcomed the use of some other potential game -
changers as well.
Nearly a year into a trial period of using body cameras and automatic license plate readers, the department will look to
expand both initiatives. As the regulations surrounding data retention and access continue to evolve, the department is
working to address both responsible data management and the expense of storing it.
After listening to Schnell's report, Mayor Nora Slawik commended the department for its efforts to eliminate the gray area in
an investigation.
"It's hard to turn on the news these days without a police officer being on there," she said, referring to recent instances of
suspect fatalities in the news. "By doing these things, you're doing everything you can to be prepared."
Scanning license plates
Currently, three of the department's 22 squad cars have an Automatic License Plate Reader mounted on the exterior. These
readers take photos of license plates, translate them into a text file and run the numbers against a search for vehicles that are
on an area -wide "hot list." It'll alert officers to vehicles that are reported stolen or have a warrant out on them. The readers will
also pick up on drivers who have a revoked or suspended license, as well as expired tabs.
Local police aren't using this information to enforce minor infractions, Schnell explained. The real target, he said, is cracking
down on auto theft, which ranks as one of the city's top issues.
"The LPR can literally read thousands of license plates within a few minutes," Schnell said, noting they can pull information
from both parked cars and oncoming traffic.
Having observed an LPR in action during a recent ride -along, Slawik said, "There's a lot going on on White Bear Avenue."
The department secured its initial LPRs through grant funding made available by the Department of Commerce, which was
spurred by the fact that the insurance industry was experiencing significant losses due to auto theft. Moving forward, Schnell
explained, the city is looking to purchase addition LPRs through grant funding.
Regarding data retention, the Maplewood police force currently retains all LPR data for 90 days before it is automatically
discarded. This data is largely deemed private, meaning the public can only request things like a total number of hits or scans
— nothing tied to a specific license plate.
While Schnell acknowledged the factthat LPRs capture a lot of a data on private citizens who have not committed any crime,
he delved into the importance of well -regulated data retention.
Recalling a recent homicide on Rice Street and Larpenteur Avenue, he said squad cars with the readers scanned oncoming
traffic as they rushed to the scene. Once they knew the suspect had fled in a white sedan, they were immediately able to
identify three possible matches.
"We think that the data has significant investigative value," Schnell said. "We recognize the Legislature's desire to have that
data secure. We have set in place a whole series of provisions that would secure that data."
Reality policing, via camera
When Maplewood police responded to an emergency call last November, data from one of the officer's body cameras came
into play during the investigation. An intoxicated mother was found passed out on top of a toddler inside her home, while her
http://www. bul I eti n-news.com/articles/2015/04/29/m aplewood-pol ice -use -new -technology -expand -footprint -col lect-visual-records 2/4
2/10/2016 Maplewood police use new technology to expand footprint, collect visual records I Lillie Suburban Newspapers - LillieNews.com
7 -month-old baby was left outside overnight in a stroller. Police wrote up a police report, detailing the scene, but
Schnell said video evidence was able to take the prosecutor to the scene in a way that a written account simply couldn't.
"While body cameras will not show everything, the reality is they can provide some safety and security for the officers, as well
as a better sense of what happened," he said.
The mother, Alyssa Rangel, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of child endangerment as part of the plea agreement.
Regardless of the circumstances, each call is recorded the same way. As of last June, three Maplewood police officers have
been wearing body cameras to record all their interactions. They clip the small, black camera to the front of their uniform and
use their discretion when it comes to pointing it out to individuals during a call.
"You might be dealing with someone who's argumentative or they're threatening. The minute you say, `I just want you to know
this is being recorded on a body camera video,' it oftentimes will change a behavior," Schnell explained.
Given the constraints of data storage and management, the department has elected to retain all data for a minimum of 14
days before deleting anything that's not related to a case.
When body camera data is deemed part of an open investigation, it's treated as confidential material that's not accessible to
the public.
On the flip side, Schnell voiced concerns with relaxed regulations over access to footage that's not deemed confidential. Until
the Legislature takes action to establish more stringent regulations, he said, data collected from police body cameras is left
vulnerable to abuse by nosy individuals. For instance, he said an officer investigating a routine animal noise complaint would
capture footage of the resident's home, along with their conversation, and that record would be made available to anyone
who submitted a records request.
"We're concerned it'd become a source for people to harass each other," he said.
As policymakers continue to iron outthe details, the Maplewood Police Department plans to expand body camera use to
each officer in the near future. For the time being, the expense of data storage and management poses the greatest hurdle.
"What we're ultimately going to be seeking is a system that has a really robust data management system attached to it,"
Schnell said.
Erin Hinrichs can be reached at 651-748-7814 and ehinrichs@lillienews.com. Follow her at twitter.com/EHinrichsNews.
Maplewood police and fire launch upgrades in public safety technology
On March 24, the Maplewood fire and police departments rolled out a new Computer Automated Dispatch system. Since July
2011, Maplewood Fire Chief Steve Lukin has been working with public safety officials from St. Paul, Ramsey County, New
Brighton, and surrounding cities, to develop both the details and cost-sharing plan of the new system.
"For the cost and what we need it to do, it's going to pay for itself in the first month," Lukin said.
Police Chief Paul Schnell joined the project's senior management team when he was hired to serve in Maplewood.
The new system includes a number of new features that will assist responders in cutting down response time and logging
http://www.bulIetin-news.com/articles/2015/04/29/maplewood-police-use-new-technology-expand-footprint-collect-visual-records 3/4
2/10/2016 Maplewood police use new technology to expand footprint, collect visual records I Lillie Suburban Newspapers - LillieNews.com
data to later evaluate their performance.
For instance, Lukin explained, the system includes a feature called "closest unit dispatching," which will alert the nearest
fire/EMS resource rather than default to assigned districts.
"We know exactly where everybody's at, what they're doing, and what's out there," Lukin said. "Those kinds of things will be a
huge asset to our overall service level."
The new CAD system also eliminates dependency on the clarity of a human dispatcher's voice and their knowledge of hard -
to -navigate neighborhoods.
Having worked closely with Lukin on the project, council woman Kathlenn Juenemann put the upgrade in perspective.
"The old CAD was so old and fairly inaccurate that itwas much more reliant on the dispatcher's knowledge. It's absolutely
amazing how well these people did with what they had to work with."
http://www. bul I eti n-news.com/articles/2015/04/29/m aplewood-pol ice -use -new -technology -expand -footprint -col lect-visual-records 4/4