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© St. Petersburg Times, published January 4, 2003
DADE CITY -- One tiny click of the digital camera, one technological leap for the Dade City Police Department.
A digital booking system installed this week at the police station allows officers to take computerized mug shots of everyone they arrest. The digital images are stored with the computerized arrest reports, making it easy for officers to pull up pictures of suspects or compile photo lineups, Capt. David Duff said.
It's the same technology used by the county detention center and other law enforcement agencies, such as the Zephyrhills Police Department. It replaces an instant camera that was about 12 or 14 years old, Duff said.
"Eventually it will save us money because the old system we used cost about $2,000 a year in film alone, and that's if the camera didn't break," Duff said. "This is quicker, neater, faster and a lot easier for the officers."
In time, if they get the right additional equipment, officers could use their laptop computers to pull up reports and mug shots while on patrol, he said.
A federal law enforcement grant covered the cost of the digital booking system, contained in a new desktop computer at the station, as well as seven replacement laptops for patrolling officers.
The department provided a $2,545 local match to the $22,907 federal grant, Duff said. The grants are awarded annually to law enforcement agencies across the United States, using a formula based on the number of felony crimes in the area, he said.
-Bridget Hall Grumet can be reached at (352) 521-5757 ext. 23 or toll-free 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6108, then 23. Her e-mail address is bhall@sptimes.com .