The “Enforcer” is now on board with the Pike County Sheriff’s deputies and the citizens of Pike County will benefit in several ways by having tomorrow’s law enforcement cars today.

Pike County Sheriff Russell Thomas said the Law Enforcement Solutions (LES) mobile computer system has been installed in five cars through a $25,000 grant from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA).

“This mobile computer system was installed at no cost to the Pike County tax payers,” Thomas said. “Rather, it will save us money while improving the quality and safety of service to our citizens.

“The system includes a microphone and camera that the deputies can turn on as soon as they are respond to any situation. So, we will have an audio and visual record of everything that transpires during an incident.”

The computer system is contained within the patrol car and has an innovative and intuitive touchscreen display that provides deputies with up-to-the-minute information at their fingertips.

The deputy can do all of the necessary paper work on the computer and send it directly to the state office in Montgomery.

“The deputy can pull up a diver’s license and driving record right there on the roadside and print out a hard copy of the ticket and put it in the driver’s hand,” Thomas said. “The deputy can do all of the necessary paperwork on site.

Thomas said the value of on-site recording is that the deputy doesn’t have to leave the scene and drive back to the courthouse.

“So, we can keep our deputies in the field longer and, therefore, provide better service to our citizens,” Thomas said. “It’s a time- and cost-saving measure in that the cars don’t have to leave the patrol area, drive back to Troy and then go back to the field.”

The GPS service provided with the system makes it easier for deputies to find locations in the county.

Thomas compared the GPS system to Google Earth.

“The GPS will provide better response time with mapping,” Thomas said. “Some places are hard to find, especially on dirt roads. With the GPS, we can pull up locations and actually see where are and where we need to go. There’s no way to put a value on time in many situations, both criminal and emergency.”

The Enforcer computer system will provide ways for the Pike County Sheriff’s Department to serve the community more efficiently and more cost effectively while being visible and available in the field instead of being mired in paperwork at the office.