The Seattle Police Department is dumping its old method of hand writing traffic tickets in favor of a new electronic system, called SECTOR, that will spit out citations with the punch of a button. It also will be used to track collisions in the city.
Some officers started using the system today, with the goal of having all patrol officers trained to use it by next summer. Officers will now simply scan a driver’s license and vehicle registration. That information will automatically create an electronic ticket that officers print out and hand to the driver.
The system also saves officers time filling out paper work. A collision report that once took up to three hours to complete will now take only 20 to 30 minutes. In addition, it provides SPD its first electronic means of tracking ticket data, which will help the department ensure compliance with DOJ Settlement Agreement requirements when officers conduct stops.
The automated system also provides better tools for tracking collisions. Other cities have used it to identify collision hot spots, and then used that information to help prevent future crashes.