Information Technology
The IT Division of the Mesa Police Department coordinates the purchase of computer hardware and software systems for the entire police department. Their goal is to ensure the best and most cost-effective IT solutions are fielded for use by police department personnel. The IT Division acts as the liaison between the Police Department and the Mesa Department of Innovation & Technology (DoIT), other City IT’s departments, county, state, and national information database systems, such as LEJIS, CJIS and NCIC. They are the primary point of contact for all the department's computer resources, networking infrastructure, computer security, and personal computer resources.
The Mesa Police Department prides itself on testing and providing cutting edge technology which directly relates to law enforcement and public safety services. Examples of these technologies include ruggedized laptops, mobile dispatching, body-worn cameras, a real-time crime center, forensic technology, and records management.
In addition to allowing our officers to write their police reports while in the field, the laptops are also utilized as Mobile Computer Terminals (MCTs) in the patrol cars. These ruggedized laptops connect our officers to our Computer Aided Dispatching (CAD) system. The officers can receive service call assignments directly from the CAD system, view a map with streets and the locations of all Police and Fire vehicles as well as communicate with dispatchers and other MCTs in real time. Officers are also able to run vehicle checks from within their vehicle, validating current registration/license plate information and run the name of the subject to ascertain if a person has any outstanding warrants.
Our CAD system constantly updates the maps of Mesa on the Dispatch and CallTaker consoles. These consoles display the exact location of any Police or Fire vehicles within the city. This is accomplished through satellite GPS technology and Automated Vehicle Location (AVL) systems. Our Police helicopters include this same GPS/AVL technology, which further enhances the city's response capabilities. When emergency calls are received, dispatchers can verify very quickly which officer or fire units are closest to respond thus drastically improving our call response time in the event of an emergency. This technology allows us to maintain peak efficiency while providing the safest environment possible for our community.
The IT Division of the Mesa Police Department supports the Department's staff of over 800 sworn and 500 professional staff personnel. We are committed to using the finest computer technology available to us, so that we can continually improve the police department's public safety operations, allowing us to take an active role in assisting in the reduction of crime.