CRESTVIEW — Given city attorney Ben Holley’s approval, Monday night the City Council approved a contract and financing agreement to purchase a new $800,000 computer system for the Crestview Police Department.
The department’s more than 10-year-old current computer system is failing, Chief Tony Taylor said, and, as seen during 2014’s crime statistics reporting, produces erroneous data.
Crimes were incorrectly classified, necessitating officers to review reports by hand.
A recent data request by the News Bulletin took officers two days to gather by hand, while the new SunGuard system would have produced the information in moments, department spokesman Cmdr. Andrew Schneider said.
The SunGuard system integrates officers’ patrol car computers and the main headquarters system, including dispatch and investigations.
Officers will be able to file reports from the field without having to return to the department’s Whitehurst Municipal Building headquarters.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview council approves new police system