Fewer Tickets being given drivers in KC – St. Joseph Post Archive

Kansas City police have been issuing considerably fewer citations since the department swapped paper ticket books for electronic devices.

Citations have been down more than 30 percent since the department starting using an e-ticketing system in August 2011. Citations now total about 175,000 tickets per year, compared with more than 260,000 tickets issued in 2010.

“It was supposed to make this easier for the officers, and frankly, if we had paper tickets back, it’s much easier to write a paper ticket than the process we have now with e-ticketing,” said Maj. Jim Pruetting, traffic division commander.

Other changes have also contributed the drop, including staff reductions and the police department’s philosophy of issuing warnings, rather than zero-tolerance enforcement, Pruetting and others said.

But the technology upgrade is a major factor. The department has been struggling since August 2011 to work out the technological bugs in the $6 million conversion.

For officers, trying to issue a speeding or careless driving ticket can be difficult because they relay data using a hand-held device or mobile car device, and connectivity remains a constant challenge. Officers frequently start writing a ticket but find they can’t get a cell connection, said Maj. Greg Volker, the information systems commander.

The department has been working with Sprint, and connectivity has gotten better over time, but it isn’t solved.

Sprint spokeswoman Melinda Tiemeyer told the newspaper that the company is making a lot of progress with its 3G network and with its 4G, or fourth-generation, technology build out in Kansas City and will continue to work on upgrades.

“We expect Kansas City to be largely completed by the end of the year,” she said. “Customers will continue to see improvement in coverage over time as we continue to roll out.”